Approach
During her ten year entrapment, Seven of Nine developed an interest in reading authors from Voyager’s original timeline. Her favor one was Montgomery Scott; the prominent Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise. She liked his courage. He admitted to admire Maxwell more than Einstein; not due to Maxwell being Scottish, but because back in 1868, it was very hard to prove that electromagnetic waves traveled on empty space at the same speed light did. His book “In Time for Transwarp” draw more than one and half billion followers in Federation's social media.
Back in that timeline, many galaxy-trotting warp pundits thought transwarp was merely theoretical and unattainable. The Vulcan Science Academy went as far as concluding “beyond warp 10, speed becomes infinite and a single starship would collapse into an overwhelming paradox, by traveling through multiple spaces at the same time”. Scotty proved them wrong and wisely responded: “Infinite speed? Yer Vulcan bums’re oot the windae! Light wouldn’t ripple... but puncture electromagnetic fields. We can only travel faster; that’s all! Unless the boiler breaks down; which could happen to anyone really”.
Seven felt indebted to him. In her solitude, he brought her the joy of complex math and made her laugh hard for the first time ever when saying: “Nobody will want to pilot warp buckets anymore; with transwarp perks docked out there”. The second time, she had to crack up harder. He actually said: “If your starship cannot handle transwarp upgrades; don’t be silly, stay home and forget about flying warp tatters”. She knew he was talking figuratively; but couldn’t hold it and laughed-out-loud. The kids were caught off-guard and stared at her for a couple of days. “Did she overplayed it”, after all, Computer got startled as well and asked: “Are you all right Seven of Nine?”.
Maybe; that’s what she should pursue, someone like Scotty -though younger and more athletic- ... a miracle worker with punchlines! She never quite grasped though what he meant by being in his youth an Aberdeen “pub-crawler”. “Wouldn’t pub-biped be a little bit more appropriate?”. Jokes can be challenging for her. Chakotay? He makes her kind of unfit with his spiritual afterthoughts. She got to be careful with party-animals too. Last thing she wants is an intoxicated soulmate running down the halls stark naked.
As she comes out of her alcove, Seven notices a difference in travel experience. She can sense the transwarp rift; the sound of its silence caressing her skin.
In Sickbay...
Veya: How many patients like me have you treated?
Doctor checks on tests and analyzes charts.
Doctor: A few...
Veya hoped for more details.
Veya: Betazoids?
Doctor: Your husband...
Veya: Doctor...
Doctor: His traits are less... effusive.
Veya: How come? We are both...
Doctor: Betazoids! It doesn’t matter. Symptoms vary across individuals.
Veya: Is it life threatening?
Doctor: Not really! Challenging nonetheless...
Veya: Any progress?
Doctor: Sort of! I just treated a hefty female Tellarite,.. fussing about out-of-character displays of in-heat behavior and excessive sense of smell.
Veya: How did that go?
Doctor: She insulted me like... any Tellarite in her condition would.
Veya: Ungrateful... Did she call you names?
Doctor: No names for me... but she wished I would shut down myself, lose my DLL files and slip forever into a helix coma-subroutine.
Veya: That was unusually insensitive... even for a Tellarite. How did you handled it?
Doctor: I gave her a shot of Theragen to suppress her rage and sent her back to Engineering.
Veya: Just like that...
Doctor: Slipstreaming...
Veya: Doctor! That was mean.
Doctor: Sorry! I don’t yet have a cure. I’m studying case by case.
Veya tries to keep up optimism.
Veya: Well; hopefully... she’s now feeling better.
Doctor: Probably not... B’Elanna already complained she authorized a competent Engineer to come to see me and I sent back to her a sluggish shadetree mechanic.
Veya shows sympathy for Doctor’s situation.
Veya: You can’t please everyone... Doctor.
Doctor catches Veya in the act.
Doctor: I know... and you’re wasting your time trying to read my mind. My thoughts are also holographic.
Veya stayed quiet for a little while; but she could hardly contain her anxiety when the Doctor was about to get back to her with conclusions.
Veya: I searched my symptoms in the ship’s intranet. They seem to be Phase and...
Doctor: Zanthi fever...
Veya: Correct! Are you reading my mind Doctor?
Doctor: No! I’m going over your bio-signs.
Veya: Oh! So... what you think?
Doctor: Tell me... has your sex drive increased lately by a factor of four or more?
Veya thinks about it.
Veya: No! Of course not! It has increased... but not that high!
Doctor: No Phase then...
Veya: What about Zanthi fever?
Doctor: Have you lost control of your empathic abilities?
Veya: No... I am pretty much in control of it.
Doctor: No Zanthi then...
Veya: But Doctor... I’m projecting emotions on others.
Doctor: On Seven of Nine by any chance?
Veya: Yes... how do you know that?
Doctor reflects on a feasible cause.
Doctor: Veya; these microprobes are AI offsprings from a formidable civilization. They are not copies of each other. They’re distinctive and come from different societies.
Veya: What are you trying to tell me Doctor?
Doctor: Yours happen to be from the same colony as Seven’s are.
Veya: Oh! No wonder the unreal connectivity...
Doctor: Not entirely! Your symptoms... Your microbes are struggling to settle in.
Veya: What should I do to end these... yo-yo effects?
Doctor looks for words.
Doctor: Like already said; I can’t yet cure you. Thamas is helping me with lab tests; and hopefully, we’ll develop a treatment kit soon.
Veya: So; on the meanwhile...
Doctor: I’ll give you a shot of Trianoline.
Veya: Isn’t that for concussions?
Doctor: You’re experiencing a mild paracortical disturbance.
Veya: This situation is nerve-breaking.
Doctor calms her down.
Doctor: Work on that connectivity issue... to get it back into line.
Veya: But how...?
Doctor: You are a Betazoid. Use your psionic abilities on yourself. Think hard about your seesaw feelings and focus your thoughts on a single spot in your lower abdomen.
Veya: Would that help?
Doctor: I think so. Microprobes should be able to pick up the energy signals transmitted through your fascia tissue and run improvements.
Veya: Thank you Doctor. You are a doll.
Veya kisses Doctor in his cheek and leaves.
In the Bridge…
Tom Paris: Voyager just dropped out of Transwarp.
Chakotay: Pretty smooth transition after such a scorching acceleration…
In Astrometrics…
Icheb: Impressive! From what I know... transwarping would imply great temporal and gravimetric forces.
Seven: True for Borg vessels; because they perforate subspace.
In Engineering…
B’Elanna: But false for Voyager; this ship vacuums subspace instead, rendering inter-phase rifts devoid of matter and energy.
In Astrometrics, Seven glares and slightly twists her head.
Seven: Silky sensation on your skins is due to the ship’s high negative energy density, coming out of inter-space emptiness.
In Engineering…
B’Elanna: Thanks for underlining it! Who told you that? Your Hive Mind?
In Astrometrics…
Seven: I read it in a dissertation by Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. Aren’t you familiar with him?
B’Elanna frowns quietly.
In the Bridge...
Janeway: Seven! B’Elanna! I can see you two are getting along very well. You’ll be working together in this mission.
Seven and B’Elanna regret their discussion. They don’t dare to respond. Janeway and Chakotay exchange smirks.
Queen regenerates facing intense REM sleep. She dreams taking off a skyscraper in a sleek vessel, leaving behind an icy megalopolis. She travels at fantastic speeds, when an irregularity forces her ship to drop out of transwarp. Her vessel suffers devastating damages. She’s hurt and dizzy. A voice engulfed in purple light comes to her rescue.
Queen’s dream…
Hive Mind: We are Borg. You’re an unknown species with distinctive technology. You’ll be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
In the Bridge…
Tom Paris: We’ve just dropped out of warp. I have now full control of the helm.
Janeway: Can you set a course back through our wormholes?
Tom Paris: Sure I can! Setting a course…
Harry Kim: Vice-Admiral! We’re bearing to an L-planet, oxygen-argon atmosphere.
Janeway: Wait Tom! Full scan! On Viewscreen!
Chakotay: It looks familiar.
Janeway: Bridge to Astrometrics! Verify our location!
Seven: On approach to Planet of the 37s.
Harry Kim: Strange! Atmosphere shows usual high trinimbic interference; though no signs of industrial activity.
Reports are disconcerting.
Janeway: Where’s Amelia City? Don’t tell me we got here too late.
Harry Kim: Vice-Admiral! Amelia was built on that dry endorheic basin. There is now a big lake instead with an island in its midsection.
Janeway: Amplify! No signs of other cities either.
Tuvok: Vice-Admiral! We may have transwarped to a different era.
B’Elanna: He’s right. We know where we are, but not when.
Janeway: Astrometrics! Please run interstellar alignment calculations.
Seven: Vice-Admiral; I already did. We went back in time 197,243 years.
B’Elanna: Agh! No way! We really over did it this time.
Harry Kim: Vice-Admiral; sensors detect a humanoid settlement in the island.
Janeway: Icheb! Get your Sphere all set; tomorrow we got to go to light up someone.
Bhytor and Thamas are excited.
Queen waked up all stressed out and supervise her drones assembling gadgets. She regurgitates and vomits on suspicious devices. She stares at a monitor; her thoughts run over. Voyager is there to jump-start her enemies. She can sense the BE kids spying on her. She turns scornfully. Bhytor and Thamas confront her with no words. Her neck-frill puffs out again and her cranial crest rises spiky. She speaks with hate.
Queen: I know you. We can’t get your thoughts; but I won’t help you to reset History.
Janeway is in her quarters; Bhytor and Thamas pop up all of a sudden.
Janeway: Children! What’re you doing in here? It’s late.
Bhytor: Queen is aware; she’ll propose renegotiation.
Thamas: Queen knows.
Janeway: What does she...? What’s she aware of?
Bhytor and Thamas stay with Janeway. Borg guests cautiously move across the halls.
Queen: Designation 3 of 12 to Janeway; I have another offer for you.
Janeway: Queen; I don’t have time for this. Live up to your end of the bargain.
Queen: You can’t comply with negotiation. This mission is extraneous.
Janeway: You agreed not to interfere with our operations.
Queen: Get me your Doctor. He can assist me in assimilating your crew. They will be much more efficient as drones. We accomplish mission. You get to stay with your kind afterwards.
Janeway: You listen to me. They’re my family. You touch anyone; and I’ll drop you off in the first frozen planetoid we run into.
Communication ceases for a second.
Queen: I like the frozen. Queen out...
Bhytor: Queen will attempt to escape.
Janeway: We know that. Computer! Report on Queen’s location!
Computer: Locating! Queen and drones adjacent to Cargo Bay 1.
Tuvok and his Hazard Team wait for the Queen and her Collective.
Janeway: Tuvok! Be ready! She’s almost there.
Janeway takes a quick look at Bhytor and Thamas. They stare at her and gaze away to sense infrasound. She realizes something is wrong and storms out of her quarters... rushing towards Cargo Bay 1. Thamas whispers.
Computer: Red Alert! Red Alert! Unauthorized take-off!
Janeway enters in Cargo Bay 1. Doctor examines a couple of tactical officers. All Borg drones are down. Type-F grunts in disappointment.
Janeway: Doctor! How’re they doing?
Doctor: I’ve defused the neurotoxin; but they’ll require follow-up in sickbay.
Tuvok: Her drones attacked us with improvised explosive devices.
Doctor: Warheads were charged with exothermic bacteria; very ingenious!
Janeway: She didn’t go for our Delta Flyer.
Tuvok: That wasn’t her plan. She went straight ahead to a Hera Vector.
Janeway: And her Borg drones?
Doctor: They all are catatonic.
Tuvok: Type-F hit them with all he got.
Chakotay: Kathryn; this Queen executed a plan. Her drones were expendable; just part of an elaborated diversion to facilitate her escape.
Janeway: I think... her plan is to assimilate Fluidians.
Doctor: I wouldn’t worry. She won’t be able to integrate digital tech into 8472s.
Janeway: I know. You told us; but she’s still a threat to others... in search for her “many”!
Tuvok: Queen didn’t integrate anyone on Voyager.
Doctor: She knew you are immune to her symbiotic fungal-parasite.
Janeway: Computer! Did Queen have any access to our medical files?
Computer: Negative! Borg subjects didn’t have access to any files.
Tuvok reflects on the odd situation.
Tuvok: Apparently... this course of action was logical for her; but why?
Bhytor: She became aware of her kind.
Thamas: Queen knows us.
Janeway gives children a wondering look…
Janeway: I got the feeling she’ll be back with a much powerful Collective.
Descent
The sphere carries out maneuvers for atmospheric entry. Passengers can see a crimson abrasion through its walls. Descent is vibrant; leaving behind a long tale of wavy flames and smokes. Neelix falls asleep.
Tuvok: Lieutenant; we are descending on an overshoot trajectory.
Chakotay: He’s right; Icheb. You may want to adjust Sphere’s angle of attack.
Icheb: In case you haven’t noticed; this sphere was designed by advanced aliens. I know what I’m doing. Enjoy the view!
Miral: Yeap Captains; this craft is tough. She can take it.
Tuvok raises eyebrows. B’Elanna can’t believe her daughter’s words. Janeway smiles.
Janeway: Well! I can say this... I’ve never seen and atmospheric entry this close.
Descending gets rocky. Neelix moves a little... but hangs on dreaming.
Miral: Uh-ho! Wait! What’s this bumping all about?
Harry Kim: It’s normal. We’re going across a highly charged atmosphere.
B’Elanna: Don’t worry, Miral! This thing… can take it.
Tom Paris: Yeah; it was built by perspicacious green-men.
Chakotay smirks. Miral opens her eyes wide. Big blurry fellows work on a foundry inside a smoggy cave.
Icheb: Hey Miral! See over there? It’s clearing away.
Miral: Wow! It’s so stunning.
Janeway hides her smile.
Seven: I don’t see any charm in it; we’re free falling towards planet’s surface.
B’Elanna: This is not good. Tom! Do something!
Tom Paris: B’Elanna! He’s Type-F’s designated archivist. He glides it.
Icheb: No worries! I have a surprise in storage for everyone.
Janeway: I don’t like surprises.
Tuvok: Sometimes you do; Vice-Admiral.
Janeway gives Tuvok a critical glance; while he looks the other way. Big humanoids melt rocks in an enthroned furnace full of lava.
Computer: Impact Warning! Impact Warning!
Bhytor, Thamas and the Doctor pop up to check on crew.
Bhytor: You’re on collision course. Tutorial is in jeopardy.
Doctor: Except for our sleeping beauty right here; you all show obvious signs of inquietude.
Thamas: I love everyone.
Janeway: Computer! Turn-off Doctor, Bhytor and Thamas.
Computer: Executing...
Bhytor, Thamas and the Doctor fade away. Three big fellows pour thick liquid material into spherical molds to forge stones, when they sense an incoming flying object. One of them looks up with his blue eyes.
Zhagori: Haukapi! Haukapi!
(Trespassers! Trespassers!)
Computer: Impact Warning! Impact Warning!
Janeway: Computer; shut-up! Icheb! I’m not enjoying this view anymore.
Icheb: All right! Sphere; please release parachutes!
B’Elanna: Oh No! Tom! This is worst than the Stone Thrower.
Tom Paris: I thought you loved roller coasters.
B’Elanna glares at Tom.
Icheb: Okay! You all stay put. We’ll soon touch down on water.
Sphere splashes on the lake and partially submerges. Neelix wakes up and see freakish aquatic creatures shimmering around. Sphere charges itself with bio-photonic energy.
Neelix: Oh, well! My uncle Balux was right then. There is no forest in the afterlife.
Sphere floats back to surface.
B’Elanna: If you got to frequent my daughter; you better improve your aviator skills.
Miral: Mother!
Tom gets closer to Icheb.
Tom Paris: No worries; I’ll help you out. I’m the best underrated pilot in Starfleet.
Janeway addresses Icheb.
Janeway: Beam us out... and work on your gliding while we’re away. All right?
Miral and Icheb exchange quick “love you/take care” kind of looks.
Janeway: Icheb! Carry-on...
Icheb: Starting sequence...
At that precise moment, all passengers experience a weird sensation when their heads are covered by gassy/gleaming digital helmets. Icheb carries out Janeway’s order; and teams are energized out of the sphere. He exhales. Navels -natives from the lowlands- on the shore spot the arrival of the anticipated Sky Spirits. Up the hills, mountaineers prepare to confront trespassers.