TEASER

FADE IN: 

1 EXT. SPACE

Starting at Deep Space Nine, as if a standard establishing shot of the Cardassian-built station... but then we move on past the station and through space, until we see the world of Bajor in the distance. 

Between the station and the planet, we come upon the USS Da Vinci, the small snub-nosed Sabre-class vessel assigned to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers (as seen through SCE). 

We continue to move past and around the Da Vinci, until we find another ship also holding position – the USS Defiant. 

2 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

The bridge is quiet, only the burbling sound of the ship’s systems going about their business. Commander RO LAREN, sat in the captain’s chair, looks at the display in the small private screen by her side...

INSERT - THE SCREEN

The screen shows the MAP we have seen for weeks now, with its field of red spreading across the Federation. The bloody stain has now reached the icon marked EARTH, and is reaching perilously close to the icon marked BAJOR. 

BACK TO SCENE

Ro turns back to her bridge. She does not want the rest of her crew to see this map, even though they must already know it all anyway. It’s a matter of keeping morale up.

Helm officer PRYNN TENMEI breaks the silence...

TENMEI
I almost wish the Borg would just
get here and get it over with. 

BASHIR
The waiting’s the worst thing. 

RO
Ensign Aleco...

The Bajoran male Starfleet officer, ALECO VEL, recently assigned to the tactical position, jerks to attention. He had been silently PRAYING under his breath. Ro is not annoyed at him for this – she smiles sympathetically. 

RO
Everything prepared at tactical? 

ALECO
(gulp)
Aye, Commander. Shields at full,
ablative armour at full, nanobot
cloud ready. Phasers ready,
torpedoes ready – photon,
quantum and transphasic. 

TENMEI
And they’ve adapted to them all. 

RO
Doesn’t matter. We do whatever
we can to protect Bajor, for as long
as we can. Everyone clear on that? 

She looks around the bridge, daring anyone to challenge her. No-one does. She settles back into her chair – with a last glance at the map on her side panel. 

Then suddenly every screen goes BLANK. Every panel, every console, including the ones at Ro’s side. To be replaced by the OMEGA symbol – a white Ω on a black background. 

TENMEI
...the hell is this? 

The crew all try to work their panels, clear the image, but nothing works. Alarmed, Ro stands and strides to a console, works it over an EXTRA’s shoulder... but nothing happens.

TENMEI
I’ve got no helm control. 

ALECO
I can’t fire any weapons. 

BASHIR
And my sensors are dead. Is this
some kind of new attack from the
Borg? I read about a telepresence
device the Romulans used during
their war with Earth...

ALECO
None of the reports from Starfleet
mentioned anything like that...

RO
I don’t know what this is. And
I don’t like not knowing. 
(taps combadge)
Ro to DS-Nine. 
(no response)
Ro to Da Vinci. 
(no response)
Ro to anyone who can hear me! 

Still no response. Ro is starting to get really worried. 

GOMEZ (comm)
(static, garbled)
Ro! Can you hear me? 

RO
Gomez? Yes! I can hear you! But
how can I hear you? None of our
systems are working. 

GOMEZ (comm)
And you’ve got a big Omega
symbol on every screen, right? 

RO
How did you know? 

GOMEZ (comm)
Got the same here. Fortunately I
know how to get around it. Only
captains are supposed to know. 

RO
Well that’s not a lot of use to
me, is it? What the hell is it? 

GOMEZ (comm)
It’s called the Omega Directive
– and it’s really not good. 

RO
Damn it, we don’t need this right
now! Bajor is defenceless...

GOMEZ (comm)
Don’t worry, we’re getting control
of the Da Vinci back now. Let me
beam over in a minute and I’ll
get you back on your feet too.

RO
Are you in touch with DS-Nine? 

GOMEZ (comm)
Checking... looks like they’re not
affected. I guess the Cardassians
don’t have an equivalent. Patching
you through now...

Ro breathes with small relief. After a few more moments...

CENN (comm)
Commander Ro! Are you there? 

RO
Major! Everything okay over there? 

3 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Ops is a hive of activity, Major CENN trying to remain the calm in the storm from the main Ops table. Unsuccessfully.

CENN
Apart from the Borg only being
hours from Bajor and seconds from
Earth, yeah great. Captain Gomez
said you were having problems?

RO (comm)
Yeah... but you’re sure this isn’t
some new attack from someone
- not the Borg, not anyone else
trying to take advantage? 

Cenn looks over to EVIK, who mans the tactical console. The older Bajoran man shakes his head silently at Ro’s query. 

CENN
There’s no-one else but you, the
Da Vinci, and Lenaris’s fleet.

CANDLEWOOD
Wait, I’m getting something...

CANDLEWOOD reacts to something at his science station... 

4 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Hearing this, Ro thinks Candlewood has detected the very attack she was worried about.

RO
Who is it, John? 

CANDLEWOOD (o.s.)
It’s not a who. I don’t know what
it is. I’ve never seen readings
like this before... 

Just then, a TRANSPORTER beam deposits GOMEZ onto the bridge of the Defiant. Aleco instantly grabs a phaser and spins to point it at the intruder, before seeing who it is. 

RO
Ensign! 

ALECO
(lowers phaser)
Sorry, Captain.

GOMEZ
Not to worry, Ensign. I don’t blame
you for being on edge. 
(back to Ro)
Sorry for beaming in, Commander.
Thought time was of the essence. 

RO
If you get my ship working, I’ll
let you beam wherever you want. 

Grinning, Gomez moves to a console and starts entering commands. After a moment, the Omega symbols all vanish. 

TENMEI
I’ve got helm control back.

ALECO
And tactical. 

RO
Thanks, Sonya. And remind me to
have a word with someone about
this captains-only crap. Now what
the hell is going on? 

GOMEZ
I think I know what your science
officer’s detecting. 

5 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Cenn, Candlewood and the crew can hear this over the comm. 

GOMEZ (comm)
That protocol is built into every
Starfleet ship. It only activates
when sensors detect a very rare
particle. They call it Omega...
because it’s basically the end of
everything. It’s that powerful. 

CANDLEWOOD
And suddenly it pops up now? Right
when we’ve got a Borg invasion on
our hands? Award for great timing. 

RO (comm)
John... where is this thing? 

CANDLEWOOD
(off panels, 
w/ confusion)
The Azure Nebula. 

EVIK
That’s the opposite end of
Federation space. And you’re
reading it this far away? 

CANDLEWOOD
It’s that powerful. 

CENN
(off his own panels)
I don’t believe it... 

6 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Ro again fears the worst... 

RO
What? ...Major, what? 

CENN (comm)
The Borg... 

7 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Cenn is gazing with amazement at the reports flooding into the main Ops table... 

CENN
They’ve turned around. 

RO (comm)
They’ve what?

CENN
(firmer)
They’ve turned around, sir. The
Borg fleet reached the edge of the
Bajor sector... then immediately
turned around and went back
the way they came. 

RO (comm)
Are you sure? 

CENN
Yes, Commander. All the reports
from Starfleet, from our perimeter
sensors, from Lenaris’s ships -
they all agree. The Borg have
halted their approach to Bajor...
and are heading back to the Azure
Nebula at maximum speed. 
(looks to Evik)
The Prophets have saved us. 

Spontaneous CHEERS go up around Ops... 

8 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Hearing the cheers over the comm inspires the crew here to CHEER and WHOOP and hug each other and sigh with relief as well - all except for Ro.

ALECO
(prayer)
Blessed be the Prophets. Thank you
for saving us! Thank you, thank you,
thank you... oh, praise the Prophets!
Praise the Prophets! 

Ro watches her crew celebrate, in mild confusion. It’s not that she is unhappy about there being no Borg attack. It’s just... why is everyone thanking the Prophets?

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER

ACT ONE

FADE IN

9 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR

Captain WILL RIKER barrels out of a turbolift and into the corridor, nearly pushing Benzite engineer MELDOK (seen TTN 1x15 “Gods of Night”) over in his haste.

RIKER
Get out of the way! 

Riker RUNS down the corridor, no care for anything in his way. This is a desperate, urgent panic of a situation. 

10 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA

Enterprise, Aventine, Titan and Voyager hold position... 

...but they are all overshadowed by the massive glittering city-ship that is the Caeliar’s capital, AXION. The giant gleaming construction utterly dwarfs the Starfleet ships.

11 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR

Riker turns a corner, still running, forcing the diminutive Sti’ach counsellor HUILAN to stumble back out of his way. The tiny blue teddy-bear-like creature bares his fangs and HISSES in anger, his long floppy ears flattened back.

RIKER
Make way! Captain coming through! 

And still Riker runs on, other crew of various humanoid and non-humanoid species hurrying to get out of his path... 

12 EXT. SPACE

BORG CUBES, SPHERES and PROBES rush through space at high warp, left to right, all heading towards the Azure Nebula. 

13 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR

CHWOLKK, the rock-like Horta engineering officer, is too slow and lumbering to get out of the way. So Riker just VAULTS right over the poor ensign and keeps on running. Chwolkk rumbles with annoyance at the indignity. 

RIKER
Sorry, Ensign! In a rush, here! 

And on he runs... 

14 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA

The Starfleet shuttlecraft Mance flies up from the surface of Axion, THROUGH the forcefield surrounding the city-ship, and out into open space. 

15 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR

Syrath astrophysicist CETHENTE barely has time to skitter out of the way on its four lower legs, upper tentacles waving wildly and sensor dome flashing in alarm, before Riker runs right past it, through the door and into... 

16 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY

...where he screeches to a stop. He looks eagerly to the clamshell bay doors, which are OPEN and showing space...

...and the shuttlecraft sweeps into view, heading for the shuttle bay of Titan. Riker shouts excitedly... 

RIKER
There she is! 

He shares a childlike grin of delight with the officer on duty, Bolian pilot WAEN. He doesn’t care how unprofessional he’s being - his wife is home. 

17 INT. SHUTTLECRAFT

KERU (Trill male) pilots, TUVOK (Vulcan male) beside him. DENNISAR (Orion male), SORTOLLO (human male), REE (Pahkwa-thanh male), TORVIG (Choblik male), VALE (human female) and TROI (Betazoid female) squeeze into the aft compartment. 

All eight are gazing out of the window with blissful relief at the sight of their home ship growing closer. 

VALE
I don’t know how Will did it, but
I’m glad he didn’t make a liar out
of me. I knew he wouldn’t give up. 

TROI
So did I. 

VALE
Are you sure you’re okay? 

TROI
Yes, Chris. Better than okay. 

VALE
I’m glad. You had us all pretty
worried there - especially Will. 

TROI
I know. It’s been hard on all of
us. And I made it worse on him.
But it’ll be alright now. I can feel
him, and I know he’s waiting for
me to come home. 

VALE
Deanna... there’s something
I should probably get off my
chest. It was nothing really - 

TROI
(like it’s nothing)
You mean when you almost
kissed Will a few days ago? 

VALE
...How did you know? 

TROI
(grin)
I haven’t felt Will panic like
that since he met my mother. 

VALE
So you’re not angry with me? 

TROI
Of course not. You were still
missing Jaza, and I’d been pushing
Will away for months. It’s a
textbook case of transference,
with a touch of displacement.

VALE
I’m so glad to hear you say that.
I was worried there for a while. 

TROI
It’s all in the past. But if you ever
make a pass at my husband
again, I will have to kill you. 

That’s about 90 percent a joke. Maybe 70. With an askance look, Vale decides it’s probably best not to push it. 

VALE
Understood. 

18 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY

The Mance FIZZES past the forcefield over the bay doors. Riker is practically vibrating with excited impatience. 

19 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR

Riker walks towards a door, about to barge on through. But he pauses, smiles to himself, and taps the door CHIME. 

HERNANDEZ (comm)
Come in. 

The door opens... 

20 INT. TITAN - GUEST QUARTERS (CONTINUOUS)

...and Riker enters Hernandez’s guest quarters on Titan. The Columbia captain is tucking into a table full of food. 

RIKER
It’s good to see that someone
likes the food on this ship. 

HERNANDEZ
The Caeliar won’t make me any
of this stuff, so I figured I better
enjoy it while I can. 
(lifts glass)
Not quite right with synthehol,
but it’s still the best margarita
I’ve had in eight-hundred years.
(sips)
I take it you being here means
it’s time for me to go. 

RIKER
Before you do, I want to thank
you. I don’t know what you told
the Caeliar, or what you promised
them. But thank you for helping
to free my people. 

HERNANDEZ
It’s the least I could do. I wish
someone could have done it for
my crew. But what’s done is done. 

She stands, obviously preparing herself to leave. 

RIKER
Will you be coming back? 

HERNANDEZ
I don’t know. Convincing them to
come out of hiding was only the
first step. Now that they’re here,
they might not like what I have
to say. The Caeliar prefer to stay
out of other people’s business. But
now that I’ve shown them their
own link to this mess, they might
choose to take responsibility. Or...
they might hear me out and still
choose to stay neutral. 

RIKER
In which case, we’re pretty much
all dead. 

HERNANDEZ
Pretty much, yeah. 

In the middle of the guest quarters, an OVAL SHAPE appears - like a vertical puddle of water hanging in mid-air.

HERNANDEZ
Time for me to go. But first...
I ought to thank you too. Three
days ago, you didn’t know me,
and you had no reason to trust
me. But you did - and I got to
be free again, even if only for a
moment. Thank you for taking
the chance. 

RIKER
You’re welcome, Captain. 

She turns and steps THROUGH the portal, which closes up behind her, leaving Riker alone in the room. 

HACHESA (comm)
Bridge to Captain. 

RIKER
Go ahead. 

HACHESA (comm)
The Mance has just departing
from Axion. All away team
personnel is safe and account. 

Not bothering to wince at the Kobliad’s habitually mangled grammar, Riker just grins and turns to RUN out of the door. 

21 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY

The Mance settles to the deck, and after a moment, its hatch HISSES open. Ree is the first out - it just leaves more room - but then Vale and Troi emerge as well. 

The rest of the away team emerge in turn, but Riker only has eyes for Troi. He rushes to her and hugs her tightly. 

RIKER
Imzadi... you’re home. 

22 INT. TITAN - SICKBAY

Troi lies propped up on a bio-bed, Riker holding one hand tightly, while Ree waves a claw towards the bio-readouts. 

REE
It’s truly remarkable, Captain.
All Deanna’s readings are optimal,
across the board. There is no sign
of damage to the uterine wall,
and no abnormalities in the fetus. 

TROI
She’s okay, Will. Our daughter is
going to be okay. 

REE
What’s more, all the unreleased
ova are now fully repaired, which
means you may safely have as
many children as you wish. 

RIKER
And the Caeliar did all this? How? 

REE
I have absolutely no idea. If I
seem impressed by Inyx’s results,
I’m positively stunned by the fact
that he left no discernible trace of
how he did it. I can keep running
tests if you want - 

RIKER
No - we’ve had enough tests. 

REE
I quite agree. My prescription for
you both is simply this - go spend
some time alone, and assuming the
universe doesn’t come to a fiery
end in the next few hours, come
back for a routine check-up in a
month. Emphasis on routine.

Troi hops spritely off the bed, and takes Riker by the arm.

TROI
Thanks for everything, Doctor
- including for biting me. 

RIKER
Wait, what? He bit you?

Troi drags a baffled Riker out before he can ask any more. Ree just RATTLES his pleasure at how everything turned out. 

23 INT. TITAN - TUVOK’S QUARTERS

Light from the corridor streams into the dark room. T’PEL wears dark robes, greeting her husband. Both are holding it tight and controlled, of course. T’Pel holds out her two fingers, and Tuvok touches his own two fingers to them.

TUVOK
It is good to see you, my wife. 

T’PEL
Extended absence continues to
be a hallmark of our marriage. 

TUVOK
I would prefer it not be so. You
are aware of events on Deneva? 

T’PEL
I am. I grieve with thee, husband. 

Tuvok cannot answer - his emotions are too powerful.

24 INT. TITAN - RIKER & TROI’S QUARTERS

Riker and Troi hold each other tightly, just revelling in each other’s presence and safety. 

TROI
You don’t have to say it. 

RIKER
Yes I do. I’m sorry I left you. I
didn’t want to. Please forgive me. 

TROI
I forgive you. It was a terrible
choice. I’m sorry you had to
make it. And thank you.

RIKER
For...?

TROI
For supporting me when I argued
with Doctor Ree. I know you
disagreed with me, for all the
right reasons. But you took my
side anyway. You trusted me. 

RIKER
I believed in you. And as always,
my faith has been richly rewarded.

TROI
We’re so close, Will. So close to
living the life we’ve always wanted,
and now we’re hours away from
the biggest confrontation with
the Borg there’s ever been. We
fought so hard for this second
chance. What are we going to do? 

RIKER
What Starfleet always does,
Deanna. The impossible.

Off Riker’s tempered confidence... 

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

FADE IN

25 EXT. VENICE - EVENING

CHAKOTAY pours more blood-red wine into JANEWAY’s glass. She has to hold up her hand to stop him from pouring her the entire bottle. The pair have not moved all day, sat at their private table by the Grand Canal and talking, while the day and the crowds have moved on without them. 

JANEWAY
Whoa whoa whoa. You know we
can’t stay here all night. 

CHAKOTAY
(sly)
Oh... did you have other plans? 

JANEWAY
You know what I mean. 

Chakotay avoids the subject by pouring the rest of the wine into his own glass. Janeway watches him wistfully. 

CHAKOTAY
There is nowhere else I need to
be but right here, with you.

JANEWAY
They need you. 

CHAKOTAY
They can manage without me.
You trained them well. 

JANEWAY
There’s no training for this,
Chakotay. You know that. 

A SHADOW passes over, darkening the entire city. Only the tea-lights on the table keep it from total darkness. 

Chakotay looks around, and suddenly he and Janeway are the only people in sight. Venice is deserted except for them.

Then Chakotay looks up... and a BORG CUBE is hovering in the sky, a black metallic hulk blotting out all the light. 

Chakotay looks back to Janeway, who is in shadow... 

JANEWAY
There’s things you have to face.

CHAKOTAY
No... I don’t want to. 

Janeway leans forwards out of shadow into the dim light... 

...and she is now the BORG QUEEN JANEWAY as seen in VOY 10x09 “Hungry” and 10x10 “Long Live the Queen.” 

JANEWAY
What you want is irrelevant. 

Chakotay jerks back in horror..

MATCH CUT TO: 

26 INT. VOYAGER - SICKBAY

Captain Chakotay - who had been sitting and staring blankly in a corner as we have seen him ever since VOY 10x20 “Dodo” - suddenly JERKS and YELLS out in horror. 

The prototype DOCTOR, who had been engaged in scanning his captain with a tricorder, also JERKS and YELLS in reaction to the sudden movement, and TUMBLES over backwards onto his holographic ass. Chief engineer VORIK cocks an eyebrow. 

VORIK
Captain - you are awake. 

Awake he may be, but Chakotay is still overwhelmed by the horror of seeing the woman he loves as a Borg Queen. His pulse is racing, his eyes are blurry, and he is only just starting to get his bearings back. 

CHAKOTAY
Vorik... where are we? 

VORIK
We remain at the Azure Nebula. It
is now two days, twenty hours and
forty-one minutes since aperture
twenty-seven C was opened. 

FLASH

Aperture 27-C blooms open, and an endless number of Borg ships emerge to ram straight through the blockade fleet.

FLASH

Chakotay shudders, breathing fast. 

CHAKOTAY
Three days?! But the Borg... why
aren’t we chasing them? 

VORIK
Voyager was critically damaged in
the invasion. Forty percent of the
crew were killed, including Doctor
Kaz and Lieutenant Tare. Mister
Kim remains in critical condition.
Commander Paris has indeed
focused the surviving crew on
repairs to propulsion. However
that focus has recently changed
to defence.

CHAKOTAY
Defence... why?

VORIK
Because every Borg ship in the
Alpha Quadrant - which current
estimates place at almost four-
thousand - is on approach to
our position at maximum speed. 

Chakotay absorbs that. His last attempt to stand up to the Borg didn’t work out so well. Will this time be any better?

CHAKOTAY
I need to get to the bridge. 

Chakotay stands suddenly, but his head and legs are not yet synchronised. Vorik moves to steady him. Chakotay YANKS himself away from Vorik - he doesn’t want any help - but he still wobbles on his feet. Under the above: 

DOCTOR
That’s out of the question. I may
have healed your physical injuries
- brilliantly I might add - but
there are clearly - 

CHAKOTAY
Thank you for your help, Doctor.
Vorik, with me. You can catch me
up on the way to the bridge. 

Chakotay leaves the sickbay. Vorik follows. The Doctor tries to chase after them...

DOCTOR
I am your chief medical officer
and that means - 
(bounces off force 
field at door)
Oh, for the love of...
(shouts out of door)
Come back! Come back, I say! 

But they ignore him and keep walking. The Doctor turns back to his sickbay with a harrumph of disapproval. 

DOCTOR
Why can nobody remember to
turn me off when they leave? 

Leaving the Doctor on his own, like in the old days...

27 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA

At first focusing on Voyager, where we can see work bees and figures in space suits manually rebuilding the port warp nacelle out of scraps salvaged from the other ships. 

Then PAN ACROSS and UP to Axion, the giant Caeliar city-ship looming over our four Starfleet capital ships... 

28 INT. AXION

Hernandez propels herself across the open air over the city. She looks up through the transparent forcefield that is keeping the air in, and all she sees is the blue wisps of the Azure Nebula and the debris of the blockade fleet. 

Looking down at the city beneath her, all looks peaceful. The conflict has not touched the Caeliar, and the city remains a perfect blend of inexplicable alien architecture and tranquil pockets of nature. 

From a distance, she spots what she was looking for - INYX, standing quietly beneath a single tree on the edge of a pool of water. Hernandez smiles wistfully and descends. 

Hernandez lands on the water itself, walking on its surface towards Inyx. The alien feigns boredom.

INYX
I wondered how long it would be
before you learned that trick. 

HERNANDEZ
Less than eight-hundred years.
Told you I was a fast learner.
You left the Quorum in a hurry. I
hadn’t even finished my proposal. 

INYX
I have made my objections clear.
But of course you know that, since
you are apparently completely
attuned to the gestalt and can
share in it whenever you please. 

HERNANDEZ
I’m sorry I lied to you, Inyx.
But your people aren’t the
only ones who value privacy.

INYX
There is a difference, Erika,
between privacy and deception.
But what’s done is done. I’m
more concerned about your
next mistake.

HERNANDEZ
I know it’s a risk. But I think
it’s one worth taking, and I’m
certain it will work.

INYX
There is also a difference between
certainty and infallibility. 

HERNANDEZ
If I’m wrong, if I fail... I’m
counting on you to persuade the
Quorum to honour our agreement.

INYX
I cannot promise that, Erika. But
I will try. I... wish it didn’t have
to be you taking this risk.

HERNANDEZ
It’s not like anyone else is in a
position to do it. And if there
was another way, I’d take it.

INYX
If you do not wish to make
this sacrifice, why do it? 

HERNANDEZ
Because my people need me, Inyx.
They need me to do something only
I can do. I let the Romulans get
the drop on me. I led my crew into
captivity, then failed to control
them, and millions of your people
died. I’ve been living with those
failures for centuries, and I
finally have a chance to atone.

INYX
The consequences of failure seem
clear. But what is the price of
success? What will become of you,
Erika? Will I ever see you again? 

HERNANDEZ
I don’t know. But in case I don’t
get a chance to do this later... 

Hernandez reaches up and gently grasps Inyx’s frowning alien face, pulls it down to her... and KISSES him. 

HERNANDEZ
Goodbye, Inyx. 

29 INT. ENTERPRISE - CONFERENCE ROOM

PICARD stands at the head of the conference table, Axion and the nebula visible through the window. Captains RIKER, DAX and a stern Chakotay sit around the table. 

PICARD
Whatever Captain Hernandez is
planning, it undoubtedly has the
potential to go horribly wrong. 

DAX
So you want a contingency plan for
what to do after we’re surrounded
by four-thousand Borg cubes?

RIKER
Better than not having one.

DAX
I guess. For that matter, we’ll
need one even if she succeeds. 

PICARD
We’re getting ahead of ourselves.
As powerful as the Caeliar seem,
I doubt they - or any other entity,
short of the single-letter variety
who shall not be named - can
do what they are proposing. 

CHAKOTAY
There’s another scenario to
consider. What if they succeed,
but only temporarily? The Borg are
based on adaptation, after all.

PICARD
These are all valid concerns. In
just over eight hours, the Borg
Collective in its entirety will reach
the Azure Nebula. Whatever back-
up plan we intend to prepare, it
needs to be ready by then.

RIKER
If this turns into a shooting
match, I think the Caeliar can
take care of themselves. 

CHAKOTAY
Against these odds? 

RIKER
I don’t know. But if the fight turns
against them, they can just open
up a subspace tunnel and slip away
to safety. Which doesn’t help us
much, but at least it keeps
Caeliar tech out of Borg hands.

DAX
A team of twenty-second century
MACOs outmanoeuvred the Caeliar.
I don’t think strategy is their strong
suit. What if the Borg get the better
of them? What if they can’t escape?

RIKER
Then we have a problem. 

PICARD
More than a problem - a disaster.
Regardless of Captain Hernandez’s
plans, our priority must be to
prevent the Borg from assimilating
anything of the Caeliar.

CHAKOTAY
What about the Omega generator? 

RIKER
What about it? 

CHAKOTAY
If we can destroy that, while the
Borg are on top of us... we wipe
out the entire armada instantly. 

DAX
As well as ourselves, the entire
Federation we’ve been fighting so
hard to save, and pretty much
the whole galaxy. We’d also end
warp flight for every other galaxy
in the local group. Not exactly
what I’d call a plan for victory.

PICARD
Captains, we must consider every
alternative at this stage. If the
only way to stop the Borg from
assimilating the Caeliar is to
destroy them both... so be it. 

Picard and Chakotay seem equally resolute. Dax and Riker seem equally horrified...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE

FADE IN

30 EST. PALAIS DE LA CONCORDE - DAY

Early morning in Paris, but still in the depths of winter. 

31 INT. PALAIS - MONET ROOM

Admiral AKAAR, chief of staff PIÑIERO, press liaison JOREL and personal assistant SIVAK huddle, exchanging padds and reports back and forth. Bodyguard WEXLER stands silently by the door. President BACCO sits at the table, watching...

SEVEN OF NINE, who holds a padd but is not paying attention to it. She is staring out of the window, not at the Eiffel Tower clearly visible, but at whatever she feels beyond it. 

FLASH

The white sun in the depths of Axion - the Omega Molecule. 

FLASH

Seven staring with awe into the harmonic resonance chamber (from VOY 4x21 “The Omega Directive”). 

FLASH

Seven gazing out of the window. Bacco approaches...

BACCO
Everything alright, Professor? 

Startled out of her reverie, Seven turns her ire on Bacco. 

SEVEN
I have asked you many times to
refer to me as Seven of Nine. 

BACCO
(tightening)
I was attempting to be respectful.
You might give it a try. 

SEVEN
It is not respectful to refuse to use
the name by which a person has
repeatedly requested to be called.

BACCO
(pause; licks lips)
You do have a point. And I don’t
care for that. I apologise, Seven. 
(Seven nods)
You seem distracted. Do you have
any clue yet as to why the Borg
turned around without attacking?

SEVEN
I know precisely why. 

AKAAR
Madam President... I believe I may
have the answer to your question. 

Seeing that Seven is still staring out of the window, Bacco nods and turns to join Akaar instead.

BACCO
What have you got, Admiral?

AKAAR
At the very moment the Borg turned
around, Starfleet vessels all over
the Federation suffered a system
malfunction that rendered them
unable to move or fire weapons. 

BACCO
Was it some new Borg attack? 

AKAAR
No, ma’am. In fact it was not a
malfunction at all, but a planned
response to a very rare situation.
I recall reading about it when I
took command of the Wyoming... 

As Akaar continues to explain to Bacco, Seven continues to stare out of the window, not needing any explanation. 

32 INT. SHIKINA MONASTERY – KAI’S OFFICE

Militia Major ROCHAN barrels through the door, brandishing a padd like he’s won an Oscar. 

ROCHAN
They’ve gone! The Borg have gone! 

Then he suddenly realises what he has done. He stops dead in horror, looking around at the important people in the room - PRALON, prylar KIRA, plus KASIDY YATES, her daughter REBECCA, and JASMINE TEY (who is playing with Rebecca). 

ROCHAN
Oh... Prophets... I’m so sorry,
Eminence, I got the report from
General Lenaris and I just - 

PRALON
That’s alright, Major Rochan.
Prylar Kira received a similar
message from the space station. 

KIRA
It is amazing... The Borg reached
the very edges of Bajoran space...
and then they turned back. 

PRALON
The Prophets protected Bajor, as
we all knew They would. 

REBECCA
Mommy... if the bad people have
gone away, does that mean daddy
will be home soon? 

KASIDY
I’m sure he’ll be home as soon
as he can, sweetheart. 

Rebecca accepts that and goes back to playing, but Kasidy exchanges a look with Jasmine. She hasn’t heard from Sisko yet, doesn’t know if he is alive or dead. Jasmine reaches out and takes Kasidy’s hand, holds it tight. 

33 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE

The turbolift rises into Ops, and Ro steps off it, with Bashir, Tenmei and Aleco behind her. Ro heads down the steps, greeting Cenn at the central Ops table. 

RO
Report, Major.

CENN
Welcome back, Commander. Starfleet
reports remain consistent - all Borg
vessels are heading for the Azure
Nebula, ETA seven hours.

CANDLEWOOD
Observe! 

Candlewood works his panels, then he directs everyone’s attention to the main viewscreen, where appears... the MAP. The red line is visibly receding while they watch, heading back from Bajor, left to right, towards the nebula. 

CENN
(to Ro)
Told you. 

Ro reacts uncertainly. An ALERT - Cenn checks his panels. 

CENN
Incoming signal, from Aventine.
They’re using the comm relay
Mister Candlewood set up. 

Candlewood stands at his station, and makes a flourishing bow of total modesty. Tenmei smacks him upside the head.

NOG
Actually, Commander, there’s a
sub-channel buried inside the
signal... and it’s marked for
Doctor Bashir’s attention. 

BASHIR
...for me? 

RO
Send the sub-signal to the office,
and put the main one up there. 

Offering confused thanks, Bashir heads to the office. Cenn works his panels, and the main screen changes to show the Azure Nebula, the Enterprise, Titan and Voyager, and Axion. 

34 INT. DS9 - COMMANDER’S OFFICE

As the door closes behind him, Bashir heads to a wall panel, and works the controls. The screen changes... and shows DAX, sat alone in her ready room on Aventine. 

BASHIR
Ezri...

DAX (screen)
Hi, Julian. How are things? 

BASHIR
Everything’s fine. Better than
fine. Have you heard? The Borg - 

DAX (screen)
Yeah, I’ve heard. Listen, Julian.
There’s stuff happening here, not
all of it good. So, while I have
the chance, I just want to say...
sorry. You were right. Not about
everything... but about a lot.

BASHIR
Ezri, that’s okay. Don’t worry
about it. And I’m sorry too. But
what’s going on? Can you - 

DAX (screen)
I can’t say much. I don’t know
much. But whatever it is, I
guess you’ll know in about...
(checks reading)
...seven hours. Be safe, Julian. 

BASHIR
You too. If you can. 

Dax smirks knowingly - little chance of that - then cuts the signal. Bashir stands back, pondering what was said. 

35 INT. AVENTINE - READY ROOM

Dax likewise slumps back from the screen, pondering. 

BOWERS (comm)
Captain to the bridge. 

It never ends. Dax gets up and heads out... 

36 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

As Dax emerges from her ready room and approaches, Bowers stands from the command chair to meet her. 

BOWERS
Captain Hernandez is hailing us
from Axion. All of us. 

DAX
Okay. On screen. 

Bowers nods to MIRREN, while Dax turns to face the giant screen, which reveals...

...Hernandez standing on the floor of the Quorum, with the rows of Caeliar lined up behind her. 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
Hi, Ezri. 

37 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

Riker stands on his bridge, with Troi and Vale back where they should be at his either side. 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
(continuing)
Will...

38 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

Picard, with Worf on one side and Beverly on the other. 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
(continuing)
Jean-Luc...

39 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

Chakotay in his seat, with PARIS and CAMBRIDGE nearby. 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
(continuing)
And... I don’t believe we’ve met,
but you must be Chakotay.

CHAKOTAY
(cold nod)
Captain Hernandez, I presume. 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
I’m glad I caught you all, as
this concerns you all. 

40 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

DAX
What’s going on, Erika? Have the
Caeliar agreed to help us? 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
After a fashion. But first, I should
apologise to each of you, and
your crews, for misleading you.
Please believe me that it was
in everyone’s best interests.

41 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

PICARD
(assuming 
the worst)
Misleading us? About what? 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
It would take too long to explain.
Besides, you’ll see soon enough. 

42 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

HERNANDEZ (screen)
(continuing)
Will, Ezri - thanks for treating
me like part of your crews. It
was nice to feel like I was home
again, back in Starfleet. Hadn’t
realised how much I missed it. 

RIKER
Captain, what’s going to happen? 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
I honestly don’t know for certain.
If I fail, then we’re all about to
have a very bad day. 

43 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

HERNANDEZ (screen)
(continuing)
And if I succeed... well then,
something brand new awaits
us all. Wish me luck.

Chakotay watches sternly. He still wants revenge, death and destruction, but if there could be something else... 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
Oh, one last thing... for your own
safety, I recommend you move
your vessels to within one kilo-
metre of Axion - immediately. 

Chakotay looks sideways to Paris, who heads to the helm. 

CHAKOTAY
Bridge to engineering... Vorik, time
to show us what you’ve got. 

VORIK (comm)
Aye, sir. 

44 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA

Thrusters along Voyager’s hull push it gradually closer to the Caeliar city-ship. The other three ships do likewise. 

45 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Hernandez stands on the floor of the Quorum. She takes a deep breath, raises one hand with fingers spread.

HERNANDEZ
It’s time. 

The tips of her fingers begin to glow with power...

46 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

CHOUDHURY reacts to alerts on her tactical station... 

CHOUDHURY
Massive energy surge from the
Caeliar city.

Picard wonders with dismay what that means... 

47 EXT. SPACE - BORG ARMADA

A dozen Borg vessels of various configurations zoom through open space at high warp...

...but then space RIPS OPEN into a dozen SUBSPACE TUNNELS, each one perfectly matched to a Borg ship. 

The apertures suck each Borg ship inexorably in, sealing up behind them just as quickly. 

48 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

The Caeliar city-ship, the four Starfleet ships... and a dozen SUBSPACE TUNNELS open up nearby. 

PANNING around, we see more subspace tunnels opening up, thousands of them surrounding our heroes at every angle. 

49 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

HELKARA reacts to alerts on his science station...

HELKARA
Subspace tunnels! Hundreds of
them! Thousands! 

50 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

From every subspace tunnel, a BORG VESSEL emerges. Another tunnel, another Borg cube shooting out of it at point blank range. And another, and another. 

In a matter of seconds, Axion and the four Starfleet ships are surrounded by Borg ships in their thousands, enough to blot out the stars. 

51 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

CHOUDHURY
(off panels)
Captain... Borg vessels are
emerging from the subspace
tunnels. Thousands of them.
I think it’s the entire armada.
We’re surrounded, sir. 

Picard sits in his command chair, hard and cold. As far as he is concerned, Hernandez has betrayed them all. 

PICARD
Raise shields. Arm all weapons.
Prepare to fire. 

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

FADE IN

52 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Hernandez stands calmly, her fingers GLOWING with the power running through them, her eyes SHINING with the godlike energies she is harnessing. Inyx steps up beside the human woman, takes her spare hand. He is worried for her. 

He looks up, and four images hover in mid-air, virtual view screens revealing the bridges of the four Starfleet ships - Picard et al on Enterprise, Riker et al on Titan, Dax et al on Aventine, and Chakotay et al on Voyager. 

A fifth screen shows the external view - with the Borg armada surrounding them on all sides. 

53 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

The entire Borg armada surrounding our heroes. 

BORG VOICE (v.o.)
Particle Zero-One-Zero detected.
Directive Omega is in effect. 

BORG QUEEN (v.o.)
Assimilate Particle Zero-One-Zero
at any cost. All other priorities
and directives are rescinded.

54 INT. BORG CUBE

The four-sided viewscreen rotates slowly, revealing the Caeliar city-ship and the four Starfleet ships. 

BORG VOICE
Source is protected. Target’s
shields must be eradicated.
Directive Omega is in effect. 

55 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

CLOSE UP on a Borg cube as it fires a GREEN BEAM of death. 

Another Borg vessel as it launches giant balls of RED FIRE. 

A third Borg ship as it fires all its various weapons...

We are sitting alongside the four Starfleet ships as every Borg vessel in sight fires its weapons at full power...

...and every one of them fizzles powerlessly against the Caeliar’s energy shield surrounding the Starfleet ships. 

PAN AROUND slowly to see thousands of Borg ships firing in unison, not a one of them actually hitting their targets. 

56 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

Choudhury interprets the readings on her tactical console. 

CHOUDHURY
Captain, the Caeliar’s shields are
absorbing all the Borg firepower.
Not a single weapon is getting
through. I can only tell they’re
firing on us at all by visual. 

WORF
Perhaps the Caeliar are as power-
ful as Captain Hernandez claimed. 

PICARD
Perhaps... 

57 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Hernandez remains where she was, concentrating. She smiles. 

HERNANDEZ
Found you. 

Another OVAL of mirror-perfect quicksilver appears behind her, like the one from earlier in the episode. She turns... and steps through it. It dissipates behind her. 

58 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

Dax reacts to this with horror. Aventine’s viewscreen is split - half the external view, half the Caeliar Quorum. 

DAX
What’s going on? Where’d she go? 

59 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

Picard understands what just happened. He speaks with awe.

PICARD
To the source. 

60 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

Riker reacts with worry... 

RIKER
Inyx! Show me where she is!

INYX (screen)
As you wish... 

The Caeliar gestures, and the image on Titan’s viewscreen dissolves... instead revealing the depths of a Borg cube.

61 INT. BORG CUBE - POV

Our POV rushes through the Borg ship, past the haphazard forest of metal tubes and wires and slithering bio-mechanics and throbbing sickly-green energy...

...until we find the VINCULUM suspended over the chasm at the cube’s heart, and the single walkway leading to it, as in DS9 “Friendly Fire”. Hernandez walks calmly across it. 

In the Vinculum Alcove, a phalanx of BORG DRONES stand guard, all staring menacingly towards the approaching human woman. Above the Vinculum itself, the headless body of the BORG QUEEN is suspended by prehensile cables. 

The head and shoulders of the BORG QUEEN are slowly lowered from the forest of cables until the slinky metallic spine slips into the body, bringing the entire body to life...

...and the Borg Queen holds out a black metal hand, smiling and seductively beckoning Hernandez closer. 

62 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

Chakotay likewise sees this on Voyager’s viewscreen... 

FLASH

Janeway leans out of the shadows, revealing a Borg Queen...

FLASH

CHAKOTAY
No! You have to stop her! She
doesn’t know what she’s doing! 

INYX (comm)
I assure you, Captain, Erika knows
exactly what she is doing. And if I
could have stopped her, I would
have, please believe me. 

63 INT. BORG CUBE

Hernandez reaches the end of the walkway, with the Borg Drones surrounding the Vinculum, and the Queen gazing down upon her. The human woman looks up at the Queen, and she is undoubtedly afraid, but determined to go through with this. 

...so she steps up to the Borg Drones, as they move to surround her in a sinister circle of black... and from all sides, they INJECT her with ASSIMILATION TUBULES. 

EXTREME CLOSE-UP on Hernandez’s face as she willingly submits to the Borg, to their stabbing injections and tearing hands and shrieking machinery...

The SUSURRUS of Borg voices rises up, cut through with the Queen’s seductive, condescending silk... 

BORG QUEEN (v.o.)
Did I not say you would join us? 

BLACK OUT

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
I’m the only one who can do this. 

64 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Earlier, when Hernandez was explaining her plan to the full Caeliar Quorum. Inyx stands beside her as she speaks... 

HERNANDEZ
None of you can do it for me. Your
bodies are made of catoms - you’re
immune to assimilation. The Borg’s
nanoprobes need organic material
to latch onto. The other Starfleet
crews can’t do it either - any
other organic being wouldn’t last
long enough to act as the link. 

The Caeliar look down upon her from on high, with their permanently frowning alien faces... 

65 DARKNESS

Hernandez in the darkness, with her eyes closed... 

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
Only I can do this. I have to hang
on. Can’t give up, not yet... 

She winces, gasping in effort as the BORG SUSURRUS steps up its hammering at her psyche...

66 INT. BORG CUBE

The walls and walls and rows and rows of Borg drones, the BORG SUSURRUS a constant background noise...

BORG VOICE (v.o.)
Resistance is futile. You will be
assimilated. 

67 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

The rows and rows of Caeliar lined up, all with their eyes closed and concentrating on the shared consciousness of the gestalt, a low melodic choir-like HUM filling the space. 

INYX stands alone on the floor, his own eyes closed as he holds fiercely to his connection with Hernandez... 

INYX (v.o.)
I am with you, Erika. Hold on. 

68 DARKNESS

Encouraged by her friend, Hernandez opens her eyes...

...and sees the BORG QUEEN standing opposite her in the dark. The Queen looks at her in confusion and mild alarm. 

69 INYX

...pushes psychically, forcing his will through the link... 

70 BORG QUEEN

...flinches backwards, surprised by this equal force... 

71 FLASHBACK - VOY 10x20 “DODO”

The Caeliar city-ship Mantilis crashes to the surface of the frozen Delta Quadrant world of Arehaz... 

72 BORG QUEEN

...angry, unwilling to let these memories be dragged up... 

73 FLASHBACK - VOY 10x21 “ALPHA”

In the icy cave, the last two Caeliar, SEDÍN and LERXST, hover ghost-like, a semi-transparent collection of catoms barely holding the near-humanoid shape of a true Caeliar. 

As Lerxst begins to break down further, Sedín turns on him with a scream-howl of hunger... 

74 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

All the Borg ships firing and firing, their barrage bouncing harmlessly off the Caeliar’s shields... 

INYX (v.o.)
Our dark, savage reflection. So
much sorrow and anger and fear,
such a desperate yearning... 

75 INT. BORG CUBE

The walls and walls and rows and rows of Borg drones...

INYX (v.o.)
(continuing)
...But it does not know what it
seeks. So it consumes everything
and is never satisfied. 

BORG VOICE 
You will be assimilated. Your
technology will be adapted to
service us. Resistance is futile. 

76 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Inyx frowns - not angry but sad. 

INYX (v.o)
How tragic. Such a shame.
It doesn’t understand at all. 

From his central place in the rows of the Quorum, their leader ORDEMO offers his own thoughts to the gestalt... 

ORDEMO (v.o.)
All it sees is power to be taken.
Do we know who it is? 

INYX (v.o.)
It’s time we found out. 

Inyx concentrates harder... 

77 DARKNESS

Hernandez stares down the Queen standing before her, eyes aglow as she channels the power of the Caeliar... 

As the Queen stands there, her features and adornments - the metal tubing, the teeth gripping into her flesh, the mottled grey skin, everything that makes her the Queen - dissolves away until the human beneath them is revealed. 

And Hernandez recognises her with sorrow - it is Lieutenant KIONA THAYER, the senior weapons officer of the Columbia. 

HERNANDEZ
Kiona... 

78 FLASHBACK - TTN 10x14 “TIME’S UP”

Lt Thayer at her weapons console on the Columbia, firing at the Romulan ships that are attacking them... 

79 FLASHBACK - TTN 10x16 “WHATEVER IT TAKES”

Lt Thayer as one of Major Foyle’s team, as they coerce the Caeliar of Mantilis at gunpoint to do what they want... 

80 FLASHBACK - VOY 10x21 “ALPHA”

Lt Thayer as one of the few surviving humans staggering into the icy cave, only to find the devolved Caeliar ready to launch upon them in a cloud of blue flickering lights... 

81 DARKNESS

Hernandez is sad for her officer. 

INYX (v.o.)
I’m sorry, Erika. But Kiona was
only the raw materials. The
soul of the Borg... is Caeliar. 

With a change of angle, the Queen is back as herself. She staggers, unsure what is happening to her. The Caeliar are breaking down her essence. Hernandez concentrates again... 

...and the image of the Queen changes again. The grey skin becomes more mottled, turning a purplish colour. The metal tubes sprouting from her head morph into the gently pulsing breathing tubes that drape over a Caeliar’s shoulders...

...until she is SEDÍN, the Caeliar. (In case it wasn’t clear, the same actress will have been playing all three roles all along - the Borg Queen, Kiona Thayer, and Sedín.) 

82 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Inyx frowns, sad for his old colleague and friend. 

INYX (v.o)
Sedín... my friend and companion
of millennia. I’m so sorry. What
has become of you? 

83 FLASHBACK - TTN 10x15 “GODS OF NIGHT”

Sedín looking on disapprovingly as Inyx welcomes Hernandez and the Columbia away team to Axion...

84 FLASHBACK - VOY 10x21 “ALPHA”

The ethereal, half-discorporated Sedín turns on Lerxst with a scream-howl of madness and hunger...

85 FLASHBACK - VOY 10x21 “ALPHA”

The vaguely humanoid-shaped cloud of blue flickering lights that is all that remains of Sedín, descending upon the exhausted and desperate humans...

86 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

INYX (v.o)
You consumed Lerxst. You forced
yourself upon the humans. You
became nothing but appetite
and hunger and desperation... 

87 DARKNESS

The figure of the Borg Queen is merged with Kiona Thayer and Sedín, all three images superimposed as one person...

...and she SCREAMS in rage. 

88 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

The Borg armada’s futile attack on Axion and the Starfleet ships continues, growing even more powerful if possible...

89 INT. BORG CUBE - VINCULUM ALCOVE

The Borg drones that had surrounded Hernandez now back away in confusion, their assimilation tubules retracting in defeat. Steadying herself, Hernandez looks up to the Queen, who is lowering to her level in an uncoordinated tangle... 

HERNANDEZ
Can’t you see what you’ve done
here, Sedín? You’ve forgotten
everything you stood for.

The Queen touches down on the deck, immediately stumbling and falling at Hernandez’s feet, confused. Feeling sad for her, Hernandez crouches down by her, speaks gently. 

HERNANDEZ
Have mercy on all these souls
you’ve stolen. You’ve held them
long enough. You’ve done enough
damage - to them, to the galaxy,
to yourself. This has to end. 

SEDÍN herself looks up from the deck of the Borg cube, and sees INYX crouching down over her, calm and soothing. 

INYX
It’s time to let go, Sedín. Let
yourself rest. Let the light fade. 

As the Queen looks up in confusion... 

90 DARKNESS

The tripled figure lets go... and dissolves into nothing. 

91 INT. BORG CUBE - VINCULUM ALCOVE

The Borg Queen at Hernandez’ feet dissolves into BLACK DUST that slips between the deck plates and into the ship. 

Hernandez stands, looks at the Borg drones arrayed around her, who are hovering in confusion...

...and suddenly panic floods them all. No longer a white-faced monotonous horde, each drone reacts individually, coming to the realisation of what and where they are... 

...and they SCREAM. 

Hernandez steps out onto the narrow walkway, looks out across the chasm to the walls of drones...

92 INT. BORG CUBE - CORRIDORS

Down every corridor and in every corner of the ship, every Borg drone comes to awareness - and SCREAMS. 

93 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

The Borg armada has stopped firing, but now the SCREAM of billions echoes across space...

94 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

On Titan’s bridge, Deanna Troi also SCREAMS, crumpling to her knees. Riker is instantly at her side... 

RIKER
Deanna! What’s wrong? 

TROI
The Queen... she’s gone. She
doesn’t exist anymore. 

VALE
Isn’t that a good thing? 

TROI
No, it’s not... because without
anyone to control them, the
Borg are going insane! 

Off everyone’s horror... 

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

FADE IN

95 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

The half-Vulcan contact specialist T’RYSSA CHEN is on her knees, screaming. CRUSHER runs to her side, while Picard seethes in a fury...

96 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

The Ullian helm officer OFELIA MAVROIDIS has tumbled to the deck, vibrating in the midst of a fit. TARSES hovers over her, making sure her airways are unblocked... 

97 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

The Betazoid ops manager KENTH LASREN has collapsed over his console, where he coughs up thin streams of vomit. Counsellor CAMBRIDGE pats his back like a child... 

98 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

Deanna Troi is on the deck, with her husband by her side. The voices of the Titan crew around her are swamped out as the roar of a billion Borg voices overwhelms her...

VALE (b.g.)
Rager, we need a medic right now!
Keru, tell Doctor Ree to check on
all psi-sensitive crew members! 

TUVOK (v.o.)
My mind to your mind. 

Troi looks up in surprise, and realises that Tuvok is gently cradling her face in the traditional mind-meld pose.

TUVOK (v.o.)
My strength becomes your strength.
My calm becomes your calm. Are
you alright, Counsellor? 

TROI (v.o.)
Yes, Tuvok. Thank you. Are you? 

TUVOK (v.o.)
I have not been. But with your
help, I will be. 

She smiles, accepting his apology. Meanwhile Riker rages at the viewscreen, which depicts Hernandez on the Borg cube...

RIKER
Damn you, Erika Hernandez! What
have you done?! 

99 INT. BORG CUBE

Hernandez stands on the vinculum walkway, gazing out across the chasm towards the screaming, wailing, anguished Borg drones. She smiles sadly. 

HERNANDEZ
Please don’t worry, Will. This is
all part of the plan. In fact, you
gave me the idea. All of you. 

Her eyes GLOW with power, and she STEPS OFF the walkway, into the open space of the chasm, levitating in mid-air. 

HERNANDEZ
I can feel them, all over the
galaxy. Trillions of minds free to
breathe again for the first time
in millennia. Some of them are
panicking, some are celebrating,
some are filled with rage.
(beat)
Inyx, I can’t finish this without
your help. We’ve come this far. 
Take the final step with me.

ORDEMO (v.o.)
This is wrong, Erika! 

100 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Back again to when Hernandez was explaining her plan. Ordemo looks down at her from the rows of the Quorum... 

ORDEMO 
(continuing)
More, it is heresy! The purity
of the gestalt is sacrosanct. 

HERNANDEZ
You need this, Ordemo - just as
much as the Borg do. Look at you
all. You haven’t changed in aeons.
You’re stifled. An evolutionary
dead end. You exist in complete
seclusion, never interacting with
the rest of the galaxy.

ORDEMO
It is how things are done, Erika. 

HERNANDEZ
That’s exactly the problem! I’ve
only spent the last three days
with Starfleet, and it’s already
clear to me. They’ve come further
in the last two-hundred years than
you have in four times that, and
you had one hell of a head start. 

101 INT. PALAIS - MONET ROOM

President Bacco looks at the portrait on the wall of her very first predecessor in this office, JONATHAN ARCHER...

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
Since I left them, my people have
built a Federation of more than a
hundred different species, all work-
ing together in common cause. 

102 FLASHBACK - TTN 1x20 “CARRION”

Hernandez exploring the corridors of Titan, practically gawking at the delightful variety of species... 

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
Species of all shapes and sizes,
all walks of life, people who look
and act nothing like them...

103 FLASHBACK - DS9 12x20 “FUTILE”

Hernandez at the meeting of the captains on Enterprise - which includes WORF, a Klingon in a Starfleet uniform... 

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
Even people who used to be our
enemies. They’ve brought them
all together and built something
bigger than any of them alone. 

104 FLASHBACK - DS9 12x21 “FRIENDLY FIRE”

Hernandez at the helm of the Aventine, operating its slipstream drive for the first time... 

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
They’ve learned how to cross the
galaxy in a matter of seconds, and
perform a million other miracles. 

105 INT. CAELIAR QUORUM

Hernandez trying to persuade Ordemo and the Quorum... 

HERNANDEZ
And all this in less time than it
took you to find a new homeworld.

ORDEMO
There is value in patience, Erika. 

HERNANDEZ
Yes, and also in diversity. Think
of your Great Work, Ordemo. You
lost so many in the Cataclysm...
just think what you could do with
so many new voices added to the
gestalt. All the new ideas and
perspectives - how they would
enrich and revitalise you. Take
a page from our book for once.
It’ll save the Federation, it’ll save
the Borg... and it’ll save you. 

Hernandez has made her argument. Now she stands there as the Caeliar exchange ideas silently between them, via their shared gestalt. Finally, Inyx turns to her with a smile. 

INYX
We are with you, Erika. 

She smiles, relief mixed with trepidation...

106 INT. BORG CUBE

Hernandez hovering in mid-air, arms wide in a crucifix...

107 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

Picard glowers at the Enterprise’s viewscreen... 

PICARD
You’re not disbanding the Borg
Collective... are you, Captain? 

HERNANDEZ (screen)
No... We’re assimilating them. 

And on the screen, Hernandez’ entire body begins to GLOW. 

Picard is HIT with a sledgehammer wave of emotion, as he feels what is happening... 

108 INT. PALAIS - MONET ROOM

At the other end of the room from Bacco... Seven of Nine staggers back from the confab of admirals and assistants, dazed and trembling. As everyone wonders what’s going on, Seven hits the wall carrying the Monet painting...

...and collapses to the floor. 

109 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

Still both on the deck together, engaged in their mind-meld, Troi and Tuvok GASP as the wave hits them too, and they struggle to contain it... 

On the viewscreen, Hernandez continues to glow... 

110 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

As Lasren continues to react, Paris instead looks at his captain, sitting quietly in the command chair with the white glow of Hernandez shining on his face. 

And Chakotay is quietly crying. 

111 INT. BORG CUBE

Hernandez smiles and glows...

And elsewhere in the Borg ship, the rows and rows of Borg drones stare into the light... 

HERNANDEZ (v.o.)
Open your eyes. See the future.
It’s here. Its time has come. 

ZOOM IN on one Borg drone’s mechanical eye-piece...

...THROUGH it, and into... 

112 BORG BLOODSTREAM

Grey and lifeless, flooded by BORG NANOPROBES as we have seen them before... and all the nanoprobes begin to glow with the same white light. 

And then they TRANSFORM, turning inside out and emerging as tiny white CRYSTALS glowing with white light...

ZOOM BACK OUT...

113 BORG DRONE

All the implanted technology, its very skin, is glittering with the same tiny pin-pricks of white light. The drone GASPS in an almost religious ecstasy as its very core existence is recreated... 

114 PICARD

On the deck of the Enterprise bridge, no pride or formality as he WEEPS openly in a huddled ball of raw nerves. Crusher shields him from view on one side, Worf on the other... 

115 CHAKOTAY

In the command chair of Voyager, also weeping. He places his fingers to his own lips, and blows a KISS... 

116 TROI

On the deck of Titan’s bridge, staring into Tuvok’s eyes, and beaming wide with a blissful happiness... 

117 DAX

Gazing in awe at the massive viewscreen of the Aventine, which shows an external view of the entire Borg armada, every ship of which is also beginning to glow white... 

118 RO

Staring at the same view as relayed to the main viewscreen of DS9 Ops... 

RO
They’re so beautiful... 

119 SEVEN OF NINE

Curled up on the floor of the Monet Room, Seven shudders, her eyes wild and terrified... 

PIÑIERO (o.s.)
Seven! Can you hear us? 

JOREL (o.s.)
Maybe she’s having a seizure. 

AKAAR (o.s.)
A doctor is on his way. 

120 HERNANDEZ

Eyes aglow with power, hovering in mid-air... 

HERNANDEZ
Who are you? 

A VOICE responds - a blend of the Borg massed voices with the choral hymn of the Caeliar gestalt... 

CAELIAR VOICE
We are the Caeliar. 

Hernandez smiles. 

121 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

The Caeliar city-ship itself GLOWS with blinding white, silhouetting the Starfleet ships and the Borg armada... 

...and the Borg ships begin to TRANSFORM in the same way as the individual nanoprobes in the bloodstream had done. Each Borg vessel shifts and turns itself inside out so that instead of its grey, blunt geometric shapes...

...they are now giant shining CRYSTALS glowing white. Four thousand of them, a beautiful image in the darkness... 

122 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

On his hands and knees on the deck, Picard lifts his head, his face streaked with tears but his breathing steadying...

PICARD
Everything’s changed. 

And he begins to LAUGH with the sheer emotional catharsis. From where she rests likewise on the deck, T’Ryssa Chen observes this with bemusement... 

CHEN
Well, as long as he’s happy.

123 INT. PALAIS - MONET ROOM

While everyone else is keeping their distance, Bacco strides the length of the room to approach Seven of Nine, who is still fetal on the floor beneath the Monet. 

Her bodyguard WEXLER intercepts her physically, grabbing her arm to hold her back. She pierces him with a look... 

BACCO
Steven, stay close... but get your
hands off me. 

Reluctantly, Wexler does as he is told. Bacco approaches, crouches down by Seven. Wexler remains her shadow. 

BACCO
Seven, it’s Nan. Are you alright?
Can you hear me, Seven? 

Slowly, Seven uncurls and looks up at Bacco - and her BORG IMPLANTS are gone, replaced by normal human flesh with only a faint flicker of the white lights. Bacco gasps...

BACCO
Are you alright, Seven? 

SEVEN OF NINE
My name is Annika. 

Off everyone’s reactions... 

124 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

Picard struggles to his feet, because standing in front of the viewscreen with its image of the transformed Borg ships is HERNANDEZ herself.

HERNANDEZ
Jean-Luc...

125 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

She is also on Titan’s bridge...

HERNANDEZ
Will...

126 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

And on Aventine’s...

HERNANDEZ
Ezri...

127 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

And on Voyager’s...

HERNANDEZ
Chakotay... I just wanted to speak
to you one last time before we go.
To tell you that I’m okay... and
to say goodbye. 

128 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

PICARD
Before we go? You mean you and
the Caeliar? 

HERNANDEZ
You don’t need to speak of us as
separate entities anymore. 

129 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

HERNANDEZ
(continuing)
I am one of the Caeliar now. We’re
“joined”, you might say. 

Dax smiles... 

HERNANDEZ
(continuing)
We have been for a very long time.
I just hadn’t been able to accept
it until now. 

130 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

RIKER
Erika, what happened to the Borg? 

HERNANDEZ
There are no more Borg. Not
here, or in the Delta Quadrant, or
anywhere else for that matter.
There are only Caeliar now. And
if you’ll excuse us, we have a
new mission to begin. 

131 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

DAX
What mission? 

HERNANDEZ
To find and protect cultures of
peace and non-violence, so that
perhaps someday in the distant
future, the meek really can
inherit the universe. 

132 INT. TITAN - BRIDGE

RIKER
Good luck. 

HERNANDEZ
Thanks. You too. 

133 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

CHAKOTAY
(whispered, 
to Janeway)
Goodbye. 

The image of Hernandez disappears from all four bridges... 

134 EXT. SPACE - AZURE NEBULA

Four-thousand-and-one SUBSPACE TUNNELS tear their way into existence, surrounding all the vessels gathered at the Azure Nebula...

...and all the former Borg vessels disappear into them. The giant shining Caeliar city-ship does likewise, disappearing back the way it came. All the tunnels seal up...

...and there are only the four Starfleet ships remaining. 

135 INT. AVENTINE - BRIDGE

Dax observes this on her viewscreen, and whispers... 

DAX
Did we just win? 

BOWERS
Don’t jinx it. 

136 INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE

After a moment’s silence, Worf turns to Choudhury...

WORF
Cancel red alert. 

The remark seems to break the floodgates, and CHEERS and LAUGHTER and exclamations of relief fill the bridge. Picard turns to Beverly, and against all propriety, hugs her tight in full view of his crew. 

BEVERLY
Was she right, Jean-Luc? Are the
Borg really gone? 

PICARD
Yes, my love. They really are. 

BEVERLY
And are you alright? 

PICARD
I really am. We all are. 

Off the scenes of celebration on Enterprise’s bridge... 

137 INT. VOYAGER - BRIDGE

...to similar scenes on Voyager’s bridge. But as Chakotay sits alone in his command chair, quietly wiping tears from his eyes as he watches the others celebrate without him, he whispers to himself... 

CHAKOTAY
Now what? 

FADE OUT

END OF SHOW