Confrontation with the Borg Queen

“Hello James Gardner,” the Borg Queen said as she slowly sauntered over to you. She turned her head to glare at a yellow suited StarFleet ensign a few slabs past Boimler. The human male ensign was pretty beaten up with bruises across their face, lacerations, and had a borg arm. “The real James Gardner.”

“Victory shriek…” the ensign helpfully mumbled before his head drooped again.

“And I’m guessing Jacey isn’t in there?” You pry.

“Oh she’s in here deep down, her knowledge of management styles was very novel if pointless.” Looking at her face, you try some cold reading but there were no wasted movements.

“And I’m guessing the Unimatrix Zero was just some kind of trap or something?” She gave you a confused look.

“What Unimatrix Zero are you referring to?” She asks with a carefully crafted tone and head movement. You weren’t buying it for a second. She must’ve realized it because she returned to a more high and mighty expression. “Hmm, of course you would be able to see past my ruse. As expected of a member of a multiversal empire.” You only raise an eyebrow at that.

“Right…” Other than a some weirdness from Jacey, which you had chalked it up to not remembering her that much, you hadn’t noticed that much. Maybe your disconnection from plants distracted you more than you thought.

“Speaking of,” Borg Queen said as she brushed a finger along your jaw. “You will share with me knowledge of your people’s technology.”

“Wow, just cutting right to the chase huh,” you deadpanned as you tried to pull your head away from her hand. “Fuck you.”

“This unit’s memories of you include several of those experiences, a repeat is unneeded,” Borg Queen replied as she walked away from you a couple of feet before turning back.

“How did you even find out about my origin?” You look over at Suki and Sabine wondering if the Borg somehow got around the quantum and magical protections that prevent mental intrusions from accessing Prime World information. Then again, there are ways around those protections.

“This unit’s memories of the one known as Starfire a protocol to flag any reference to her species. Their biological uniqueness will be integrated with the Borg’s. We intercepted a StarFleet communication approximately four cycles ago that indicated that Starfire had been encountered. The same report included a report of your claimed multiversal origin. An origin that your ship’s unique technology and quantum signature confirmed.” Borg Queen lectured as a hologram of the Winged Heart appeared behind her. You grit your teeth, your ship had multiple scorch marks along the hull and holes in the wings.

“So what’s your plan? Trying to use my people’s multiversal portal technology to escape or contact Borg from across the multiverse?” You glared at her while trying to slowly nudge a flower bracelet off. The Borg Queen cocked her head curiously.

“I had not considered the possibility of contacting other Collectives,” she hmmed as she considered the idea. “No, alternate Collectives have the potential to subvert my control and their goals unknown. Retreating to a universe without a present Collective would be preferable.”

“They’re probably smarter than you anyways,” Mariner suddenly said, catching you by surprise. You hadn’t realized she had woken up but you didn’t waste the distraction that she caused. Several plant seeds sprouted in your pocket and dragged themselves out of your pant’s pockets and dropped to the ground.

“I mean seriously? Attacking Risa, the number one tourist destination in the quadrant during a StarFleet training conference? I wouldn’t be surprised if we had the whole fleet on the way, not to mention the Klingons and Ferengi.” Mariner rambled a bit. “It’s got to be embarrassing.”

“The Borg does not get embarrassed.” You have the seeds grow underneath the floor plating while the Borg Queen is distracted. You frown a bit as you hear distant explosions and quicken the speed of the spread. “Multiversal travel technology is too valuable to not assimilate.”

“You can’t really assimilate if you’re destroyed,” you spoke up once the plants had spread to a good area throughout the room. “The old Borg would’ve sent an undamaged Cube to do the job. You must really be in a bad way.”

“Enough!” The Borg Queen demanded. “The Cube’s state is irrelevant. You will supply me with the key to breach the universal barrier.” You gave her an unimpressed look.

“Bitch, I’m not a portal engineer, I don’t have anything to give you,” you scowl for a moment. “Except for this!” Grinning, you call on the plants. From the floor, grasping vines and thorns burst out and entangle the Borg Queen.

“You think this will do anything, you will not escape!” The Borg Queen shouted as your vines unlocked the restraints. You have a vine gag her mouth while the others start to stir awake. You got up and went over to help some of the others out.

“Mariner, can you check if you can find the nearest escape pods or if my ship is around?” Mariner nodded and rushed towards a console, she looked confused a bit as there wasn’t a clear interface. She padded her uniform a bit before pulling out a tricorder and plugging it in. You were helping Boimler up when one of the doors suddenly banged. You and the other victims stare at the door before looking around for something to defend ourselves with. You make some thorn daggers from the vines and hand them out just in case. You gave the last dagger to the still loopy not-’James’ when the door was suddenly **** open.