Romulans In Distress Stardate 2260.04

"He wants me to incapacitate a Borg...person, and then inject them with something...I can't tell you what, and then extract its blood," He said. "Now, I know you were in the same briefing I was in that specifically said to NOT let them get close to you. Well how in the hell am I going to inject them without getting close to them?" he asked her as he took a bite of his burger.

"Most likely they have a transceiver of some kind embedded in their brains," he said. Maybe we'll get a chance to study a dead one," Spock said. They both barely touched their food, they were focused on the information. "They have to regenerate and recharge their cybernetic components. And they don't react to anyone unless they commit some kind of hostile act," he said.

Elyse thought about Leonard's dilemma. She was curious as to why the Captain was wanting Leonard to inject the Borg and then extract it's blood. That sounded like something Section 31 might want Amara to do. She had heard about what had happened to Amara the last time she had failed to comply with their missions and she knew that she had almost bled to death. She knew that Jim would never allow that to happen again so likely he was going to do whatever Section 31 wanted for her sake. 

"Perhaps use a very long stick," she joked. 

Scarlett looked at Spock. "Well, I think us attacking them will be considered a hostile act."

James and Amara spent the short time they had in their room together. A quickie followed by a sexy shower then a small bit to eat with some hot tea. By the time they were dressed again, they were called back to the bridge. Once they got there they saw the Vilara ahead. "Their she is," Kirk said as he moved to sit down. "We'll engage and focus on their shields Kirk, you go for their hull...preferably their engines first," Thelai said but Kirk didn't need him to tell him that. The Nestral pulled ahead then vanished.

"It appears their attacking another ship Captain," Scarlett said. "Red Alert, full impulse," Kirk said. "It looks like another Kzinti freighter vessel," she said as the Nestral suddenly appeared and opened fire on them. "Bring us around Kal, Elyse, just try for their engines," Kirk said. Once the Nestral hit them they no longer were craving up the Kzinti freighter. They shifted and fired some kind of powerful phaser beam at them. It hit the Nestral and stopped their forward motion. "Fire," Kirk said. Elyse fired 3 Photon Torpedoes and hit with them all.

"Captain, their aft shields are down to 30% and their power grid is fluctuating," Fiona said. "Kal moved around the ship and turned the Enterprise so Elyse could fire their rear Torpedoes. "Captain, the Nestral's shields are down and they've got them in some kind of high energy tractor beam," Fiona said. "Some kind of Proton cutting beam is cutting into their hull Captain," Scarlett said. "Fire," Kirk said and ELyse did, 2 rear torpedoes hit their engines and the beam suddenly fluttered out. "Their free Captain but they've sustained heavy damage to their impulse drive and weapons," Scarlett said. Kal got them back around and Elyse fired phaser at the Vilara's weapon ports. Once she did that the ship's power just suddenly went down significantly. Kirk looked at Spock.

"Spock, what's happening," Kirk asked. Spock got up and moved to Scarlett's station. He leaned into her scanner. "Just as we've read Captain, this ship's gone into some form of regenerative mode...but rest assured, they're repairing themselves," he said.

Amara received a message from Thelai, they've had to take their warp drive offline to make repairs.

Amara and James didn't say much of anything while they were back in their quarters. They never did in times like these. Instead, they allowed their love and passion to speak for them. It gave them each strength to do what they needed to do. 

When they returned to the bridge, they found themselves face to face with the Vilara and the Borgs that were currently inhabiting her. The Enterprise moved to help the Nestral and they attacked the Vilara. Scarlett maintained readings on the Nestral and informed the Captain when they were freed from the tractor beam. However, after Elyse fired phasers at the Vilara's weapons ports the Vilara's power suddenly decreased. Elyse knew that they had gone into a regenerative mode and that they were repairing the damage. 

Amara looked over at James. "Captain, the Nestral has had to take their warp drive offline in order to make repairs."

Kirk hit the shipwide intercom on the arm of his chair. “Doctor McCoy, Nathan and Scotty meet us in transporter room 1,” Kirk said. “Amara...Scarlett, you’re with me,” he said as he stood up. They were all armed and Scarlett and Amara had tricorders though McCoy had a medical one. Nathan had a phaser rifle. All 6 of them were on the pad when they were beamed over to the Borg ship. When they materialized they all raised their phasers but Scarlett had delved into the Borg information and she told them to lower them. Nathan thought she was crazy but he did it.

The ship was closed in, there were odd Borg panels on the walls and several Borg were in some kind of open-faced regeneration chamber. There were alot of them and Kirk stepped up one.

“Captain...don’t get too close,” he said. “This one is Romulan,” Kirk said. The area glowed an eerie green and they turned when they heard someone come toward them. Two Borg moved toward them, they walked stiffly and their eyes did not focus on them. “Get out of their way...don’t interfere,” Kirk said as the two Borg just walked right past them. Nathan didn’t understand that.

“They won’t react to us until they consider us a threat,” he said. “Take as many scans as you can. Amara....McCoy...get it done,” Kirk said and he pointed to the Borg closest to them. “Nathan, Scotty and Scarlett, head toward the Engine Room, the enterprise has a constant lock on us,” Kirk said. Then nodded and stepped away

Amara was still in her Section 31 uniform. She was already armed and she took a tricorder. She knew though that as long as the Borg didn't consider them a threat then they wouldn't react to them. The team was beamed over to the Valari and Scarlett told them to lower their phasers. They began to walk through the ship and came across a open-faced regeneration chambers that held some Borg. They saw that one of the beings inside the chamber was a Romulan. Scarlett was fascinated and scanned the chambers as well as the panels on the walls. She, Scotty, and Nathan then headed to the Engine Room.

Amara looked at the Borg that was closest to them and then to Leonard. She unzipped her jacket and gave Leonard her arm so he could draw some of her blood. James stood nearby on watch.

The ship had regeneration chambers all over, there must be hundreds of Borg on the ship. That and the Borg conduits, panels and devices looked completely alien to them. Scarlett took as many scans as possible and Scotty remarked at the efficiency of how it was all laid out. There were Kzinti Borg here as well.

When they finally reached Engineering they saw several tables with Romulans on them. Scarlett and Scotty stepped up as two Borg attached some kind of arm appendage onto a Romulan. They had cut off his arm at the elbow and modified the end of it to attach the appendage. Another had one eye removed and some sort of adapter attached into his eye socket. A Borg stepped up and attached some kind of sensor unit to his face.

There were several Romulans and Kzinti that just stood there, in a line. They were in varying stages of transformation as they awaited their own form of mutilation and installation of cybernetic implants. They just stared at nothing.

“Horrifying,” Scotty said. They were using the ship’s singularity but they had modified it, somehow. Scotty was looking to see what they did as Scarlett scanned more of the crew. Nathan watched warily. “We should get back to the Enterprise,” he said.

----------------------------

McCoy took Amara’s blood and injected it into a hypo. He scanned the hypo to make certain it had some of the nanobots that were in her blood. “Well, it’s loaded, here we go,” He said then injected the Romulan Borg with them. For several minutes nothing happened but then his color began to change. His head bobbed oddly and then he reached out and grabbed hold of the doctor. Kirk drew out his phaser but McCoy saw the Borg’s eye change.

“Help...mem...mmmee,” He said. McCoy shook off his grip and then shifted to extract his blood from his neck. The Borg grabbed his hand and Amara grabbed the Borg’s hand. She was able to pull his hand away from McCoy’s but it took considerable strength to do it. “Uh...something is happening,” Kirk said as a Borg stepped out of its alcove. It turned and headed toward them. McCoy took the blood sample. As Amara held the Borg’s wrist, 2 tubules shot out of its wrist and pierced her flesh. She pulled away and the tubuloes snapped off but already her hand began to change. Kirk fired at the Borg. Sparks flew from it and it fell. Two more came toward them and Kirk fired 2 quick shots and they fell as well.

---------------------------

In Engineering Nathan fired at two Borg that had come toward him. Scotty fired at another and even Scarlett hit one. Nathan’s next shot seemed to contact some sort of shielding it had. “Ut uh, they’ve adapted,” he said as Scotty pulled out his communicator. “We need a beam out!” He said as Nathan used the butt of his rifle and hit the Borg in the face. It fell back. “Watch out!” Scarlett said as Nathan turned and struck another one with his rifle then used the base of his hand in a Martial Strike upward on its chin. It fell back to the floor but more were coming. They were beamed out just in time.

Amara didn't even flinch as McCoy took some of her blood. She didn't put her jacket back on yet. She wanted to see what would happen to the Borg when they injected it with her blood laced with nanobots. They all watched for any sign of a change, and for several minutes nothing happened. But then they saw his color begin to change. He moved and then grabbed hold of Dr. McCoy. Amara saw James draw his phaser but she looked over at him. "Wait...don't fire yet," she told him. She moved over to help Leonard as he tried to extract some blood from the Borg. When it grabbed Leonard's hand she grabbed the Borg's hand. She had to use a considerable amount of strength to get it to release Leonard. She continued to hold onto the Borg's wrist, but suddenly 2 tubules shot out of its wrist and pierced her flesh. She instinctively pulled back and they snapped off, but already something was beginning to happen. She collapsed down onto her knees.

“Enterprise, emergency beam out!” Kirk said into his communicator and they were transported to transporter room 2. Once they materialized Kirk bent down and lifted Amara into his arms as McCoy scanned her. “She’s been injected with Borg nanobots Jim, they’re infecting her blood but her own nanobots are attacking them,” McCoy said. Amara’s veins began to turn dark as they hurried toward sickbay. 4 Borg suddenly transported onto the bridge. There were 3 that transported to an engineering access way not far from main engineering. They began to pull off panel covers and injected nanobots by tubules into the conduits. One Borg moved toward Kal and he hip fired his phaser and hit it in the chest. It fell back as another that had appeared by Spock tried to strike him. Spock caught the odd appendage with his hand then ripped at the cables that came out of its head. It blinked and staggered as it fell. Two moved toward Fiona and as she fired on the first it appeared to have some kind of shielding. The other moved right up to her console and began to scan it with its own odd appendage. The other grabbed hold of her and 2 tubules lashed out and hit her in the neck as she tried to fight it off. Kal came up behind it and with a quick twist he broke its neck. It fell back and twitched as both he and Spock pulled back the fourth one. It swung its appendage but not fast enough for Kal to dodge it. Spock balled up his fists together then hit it in the back. It fell and Kal bent down and pulled out a handful of cables. It twitched and then died right there. He went to Fiona who was on the ground. Her veins began to turn black and her flesh began to pale immediately.

“Medical Emergency, 2 to Sickbay!” Kal said. Soon after they were transported to Sickbay.

--------------------

Kirk set Amara on a bed and a Nurse came up to them. McCoy was there and he was scanning her. Kirk held her arm and her veins were changing too but her own nanobots were keeping her with him mentally.

Kal materialized with Fiona and he hurred up to a bed. She was having trouble breathing as the nanobots began to modify her organs to accept the cybernetic implants. It was also developing the Borg transceiver in her brain.

Amara remained awake and aware of what was happening. She couldn’t decide if that was better or worse than the alternative. She looked down at her arm and saw her veins were changing to a dark color. She tried to remain calm, but it was difficult. She was scared and had to hope that the nanobots in her body would keep her from completely changing.

She looked at James and had tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, Kal appeared in sickbay with Fiona. Diana rushed over to help him put her on a bed. Fiona was struggling to breathe and Diana looked over at McCoy. “What do I do?” she asked as she put an oxygen mask on her.

Fiona had tears in her eyes as she felt her mind begin to slip away. Memories of her and Kal flashed across her thoughts as her body began to change. “I...I can hear them…” she murmured as her flesh began to turn gray. McCoy came over and scanned her. “Her physiology is changing so rapidly...Jim...I don’t even know where to begin. I could try taking Nanobots from Amara?” McCoy suggested.

“Do it!” Jim said urgently and Diana handed McCoy an extractor hypo. He moved up to Amara and touched it to her neck. When it was full he used it to extract the blood and leave a injection solution that was filled with nanobots hers and the Borg’s. He hurried over and injected Fiona in the neck. “Kal, you need to get away from her,” McCoy said. Kal leaned over and kissed Fiona. She kissed him back but then pushed him away with the last of her strength. McCoy erected a force field over her. Amara heard an echo in her mind...hundreds of voices. They were faint though and she didn’t quite understand what they were saying. She was having difficulty breathing now.

Fiona looked up at them. “Please, don’t let me become one of those...things...Kal...please,” she begged.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Jim said as he held her hand. Suddenly the power and lights dimmed briefly in the room.

“Captain, there are 3 Borg in Engineering compartment 32 beta,” Scotty said. “They’re doing something to our energy grid,” he said. Kirk blinked.

“Captain I’ve sent Elyse and security to remove them,” Spock said. Kirk thought a moment. “Elyse, where are you now?” He asked.

Fiona panicked as she tried to hold onto herself. Memories of Kal and herself in Ireland laying on the grass under the stars flickered across her mind, but then it was replaced by voices...hundreds of voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but it frightened her. She clung to Kal's hand as Dr. McCoy pressed the hypo against her neck. She was afraid, but she was also afraid she might hurt Kal. She felt him kiss her and she kissed him back, but then she pushed him away. 

Amara was hearing the same voices in her head as Fiona. She found that she was now having difficulty breathing and her breaths came in ragged, sharp intervals. She held onto James' hand. Knowing he was there was the only thing giving her strength right then.

Elyse heard Jim on her communicator and she pulled it out. "I'm in the turbolift. Why? What are you thinking?"

“Stay clear of the area...Scotty, get your people away from there...Spock seal access hatches 31 alpha to 32 delta,” Kirk said. In Engineering Scotty gestured for everyone to get back. “Comone, all of you go!” Scotty said from the engineering console. He did what Kirk asked. Once Sofia gave him the thumbs up he responded.

“Ok, Captain, we’re clear down here. Kirk cringed a moment as he considered what he was about to do but he had no choice. “Open hatch 32 beta,” Kirk said with a frown. Scotty hesitated but only for a moment. The Borg there were all working and the section had the green panels and Borg devices that glowed green. The hatch opened and the three Borg were suddenly sucked out into space. They flailed as they floated away from the ship.

“Seal hatch 32 beta,” Kirk said and Scotty complied. “Ok Elyse, you're clear to enter that area,” Kirk said. Fiona reached up to scratch an itch she had on the side of her head and she felt her hair pull away. Kal watched in horror as she looked at it in her fingers. Her lifesigns decreased. McCoy scanned Amara. Her lifesigns seemed to remain strong. Then he moved to Fiona.

“Jim, I’m detecting Borg implants...they’re attaching themselves to her endocrine system, her lymphatic system. Her respiratory system...There just isn’t enough of Amara’s nanobots in her system. The process is still happening, it’s just slowed down,” McCoy said. Kal could do nothing but watch it happen.

“Her brain pattern, it’s changing…” he said as he looked up at it. And then Fiona’s face lost all expression. She just laid there a moment then she sat up. Her hair fell from her head as she shifted and got up off of the bed. Kal saw the dead, emotionless look in her eyes...The Fiona he knew was gone. She bumped up against the forcefield and then she paused and then passed right through it. She came right at Kal. When Diana tried to pull her back, Fiona shifted an arm and Diana was flung back as if Fiona had 4 times her strength. Kal fired his phaser but only on stun. The shock of it halted her and he fired again. That time it staggered her and he fired a third time and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

The nanobots in Amara's body were continuing to fight off the Borg bots. She continued to struggle to breathe, but she saw that Fiona was changing. Amara was quite horrified by what she was witnessing. Fiona was a friend and seeing what was happening to her was almost more than she could handle. 

Diana tried to pull Fiona back away from Kal, but she was flung back into a wall and knocked unconscious. As Kal shot Fiona with the stun setting of his phaser she staggered and then fell to the floor unconscious. Amara looked at James.

"We need to get...more of my blood into...her body. A...transfusion...it may save...her."

McCoy shook his head. “Jim, if we remove them from Amara, the Borg nanobots might surge. They reproduce at a staggering rate,” he said. Kal picked Fiona up and laid her back onto the bed. Kirk just looked at Amara and saw her slight nod. “Do it,” Kirk said before she changed his mind.

“Captain, the Borg ship appears to be repairing itself,” Spock said. The Nestral has pulled away, they appear to be leaving,” He said. “What!?” Kirk asked. He looked down at Amara and leaned over her and kissed her. “I have to go,” he said softly as he looked at her. McCoy was ready with the extractor. Kirk straightened and looked at him. “Keep them both alive,” Kirk said. “We’ll do everything we can Jim,” McCoy said then Kirk stepped out of Sickbay.

-------------------

Kirk stepped onto the Bridge. Elyse was in Kal’s seat and Lucia was at hers. Uhura was at Amara’s station. “Patch me in,” Kirk said. “You’re on Captain,” She said. “Thelai, what the hell are you doing?” Kirk asked. A different face came up on screen. I am Sub-Commander Krelik, Captain Thelai has been relieved of duty. I wish to inform you that our temporary alliance had been terminated,” he said then the Nestral fired at The Enterprise. They scored a direct hit on their Port Warp nacelle.

“From my experience Captain, if you’re being chased, all you need is to be faster than the person with you to survive,” he said then his ship began to pull away. “Damn you!” Kirk said as the screen went back to the ship. “Fire on the Vilara, everything we got,” Kirk said. And Lucia did. Phasers and Torpedoes hit the Vilara but the ship still came toward them.

“We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us, resistance is futile,” The Borg ship said.

“Ensign, keep modulating our shields...Lucia, modulate our phaser fire...keep firing!” Kirk said as Elyse performed an Evasive pattern to avoid the Borg’s tractor beam. The tractor beam failed to lock onto them as Lucia sent another full set of phasers and torpedoes at them. They were doing damage but not enough and eventually their tractor beam was able to lock onto them. The ship lurched to a stop and Elyse was nearly thrown from her chair. Lucia fired once more and the ship’s power grid began to fluctuate. The ship’s power suddenly dipped and the lights all over the ship dimmed. Sparks flew from Priya’s station as she was burned and she fell back. Several people were in the engineering section when a conduit burst and filled the room with flames.

“Scotty, I need warp drive NOW!” Kirk yelled. “Captain, I can nay give ya Warp...They’ve damaged the port Nacelle!” Scotty said. Spock turned to face him.

“Captain, I’ve analyzed their tractor beam, they are using some kind of high energy beam. If we were to take the main deflector offline and use it to generate a tachyon burst, we can send it in a feedback loop back into their tractor beam,” Spock said. “Do it!” Kirk said.

Diana regained consciousness and Kal helped her to her feet. Her head throbbed painfully, but she knew that McCoy needed her. She helped him quickly prep both women for the transfusion. Amara was once again risking her life for someone else. Diana had never known anyone as selfless as this woman. 

"We're ready to begin the transfusion," she told Dr. McCoy.

------------------------------------

Elyse was the second best pilot they had and with Kal in sickbay with Fiona she took over his station and Lucia moved to hers. Elyse kept the ship moving and performed an evasive pattern to avoid the Borg's tractor beam. However, it wasn't enough and soon they were locked into it. The ship lurched to a stop and Elyse was nearly thrown from her seat. The ship's power grid began to fluctuate and the power suddenly dipped. Priya was burned as sparks flew from her station and in Engineering Sofia just managed to get everyone out before anyone was seriously hurt.

Elyse looked over at Spock as he suggested taking the main deflector offline and using it to generate a tachyon burst. "Everyone hold on to something," she said, knowing that the ship would be thrown back.

McCoy removed even more of Amara’s blood and the Section 31 nanobots and then did it once more and injected them all into Fiona as she lay unconscious. Kal never left her side or even looked away from her. He was worried sick that she’d not come out of this alive. And if she did survive, would she be ‘his’ Fiona? He had made a really big mistake with Elyse. He could have left it alone but he had an obsessive nature, sometimes that drew him into things. He was a fool, a great big one and he could only hope Fiona would be around so he could make it all up to her.

“Lucia!” Kirk said and pointed to The Navigation Station. Lucia shifted off her panel and Elyse shifted Tactical over to her station. “All remaining power to the shields!” Kirk barked as the ship shook at the strain. Spock and Scarlett both worked quickly and coordinated with Sofia in Engineering. The Deflector showed it being offline and Spock began to enter in the formula for the feedback beam. Conduits burst around the ship. One of the engineer’s consoles exploded and he fell back as he was engulfed in flames. Silas was there and quick work with an extinguisher put the fire out but he was burned very badly. “Shields down to 20% Captain!” Lucia said as she sat down. “Now Sofia,” Scarlett said and Sofia activated the main deflector. A yellow beam snaked up the green one that came from the Borg ship and conduits from the Borg ship exploded. The beam cut off and the Enterprise was free. Elyse only had power for Torpedoes and so she fired them at the Borg ship just as the Borg ship fired its proton beams at them.

“Captain, if we lose shields, they’ll board us again,” Spock reminded him. “Security to the bridge...all power to the shields! Everything!” Kirk said as Elyse continued to pelt the Borg ship. It was just too damn powerful, she thought.

“Captain...there’s a ship coming in...it’s the Nestral,” Lucia said. The Nestral warped in and began to fire at the Borg ship. It used it’s disruptor cannons and their torpedoes and flew up in between the Borg ship and the Enterprise. Elyse repositioned to it’s starboard side and got enough clearance to fire. The Nestral was taking a beating with those Borg proton beams but it continued to fire. As both ships sent another barrage of phasers, disruptors and torpedoes, the Borg ship exploded. The explosion rocked the Nestral and the Enterprise but most of the shockwave was absorbed by the shields.

“We need a medical team to the bridge,” Kirk said. “Stand down from Red alert,” he said as Thelai came up on the screen. “My apologies Captain Kirk, we’ve had an attempted mutiny here. It took me some time to regain command,” he said. “Well, better late than ever,” Kirk said. “Indeed,” Thelai said. “We will remain to provide any repair assistance you might require,” He said. “We appreciate the offer Thelai,” Kirk said. Thelai nodded and the screen went blank.

“Well i don’t know about you Elyse, but I never thought I’d ever be thankful to see a Romulan ship,” Kirk said as Lucia moved to help Priya. The medical team arrived and they began to treat her. “Scarlett, will you go down to Engineering and see what the Borg did to the ship?” Kirk asked.

Elyse was relieved that it was over. She had never been so happy to see a Romulan ship as just  now. They had saved their lives for certain. She wasn't sure they would have made it out of this situation had it not been for them. She knew that the ship had sustained damage and there were causalities, but the Borg ship had been destroyed and that was one less thing for them to worry about.

Scarlett nodded to Jim's request and she stood. She and Spock shared a look between them. They had both been very concerned and there was a sense of relief that they shared through the bond. She left the bridge and headed to Engineering. A medical team arrived to help Priya and anyone else that was injured. Elyse had been thrown about, but she insisted that she was alright. 

--------------------------------

Ever so slowly there was a change in Fiona. Her color started to return to normal and her veins no longer appeared dark. Then, her hair started to grow back. Diana just stood and stared at what was happening. She was not privy to the classified information about the Section 31 enhancements that Amara had. However, she now knew that there was something very special about Amara's blood. 

"How...how is this possible?" she asked Dr. McCoy.

Casualty and damage reports began to come in. Sickbay began to fill up quickly as people helped the injured into beds. McCoy was scanning the man that had been burned. Half of his face was a burned, bloody mask. Sofia stood over him and held his hand. He was young, very young at 20. He was one of Sofia’s best and she had been mentoring him. “It’s alright...Sofia,” he said and then his eyes closed and his grip went limp. “I’m sorry Sofia,” McCoy said as he covered the young man up with a blanket.

Silas came up to comfort Sofia as she began to weep. Most of the injured were Engineers. Most usually were. Kal sat right next to Fiona and eventually her eyes opened and she turned her head to find him looking at her. He looked worried and tired.

Sofia had brought Neil in herself. Neil was young, but he had so much potential and he reminded her of herself in so many ways. She enjoyed working with him and she had been mentoring him. He had been one of the best engineers they had and she considered him a friend. She held his hand as she looked down at him. She saw his eyes close and his hand suddenly felt limp in her own. She sat back and hung her head and began to cry. 

Fiona's eyes eventually began to open. She couldn't remember much. She remembered being on the bridge and then the Borg had shown up. She remembered Kal's worried face looking down at her, but her memory was blank after that. She felt tired and her body felt...strange...different, although she couldn't figure out what was different. 

"What...what happened?"

Amara was unconscious, but alive. The nanobots that still resided in her body were working to repair her. They had fought off the Borg bots and her features had returned to normal. She could have died to save Fiona's life, but she had never second guessed herself.

"You were injected by a Borg. They have these tubules that they use to inject their nanobots into your blood. The nanobots transform you into a Borg. Amara risked herself...she was also infected by the Borg, and she used her nanobots to bolster your bodies defenses," Kal said. Her hair was still very short but McCoy said he could stimulate the hair follicle growth. He kissed her hand and he leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

Fiona was horrified by what Kal told her and she was glad she couldn’t remember much of it. That was not something she wanted to remember. She kissed him back and then eventually drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, Amara began to awaken. She shifted and her eyes began to flutter open. She flinched against the light above her and knew she was still in sickbay.

"Doctor, Amara is waking up," Diana said. She came over with something to drink and she offered the straw to her lips. "How do you feel?" She asked. Sickbay was filled with patients. Neil had been removed a while ago. McCoy came over and sat to Amara's right. He looked down at her and touched her forehead then her cheek. "Well, you look alot better, how do you feel?" he asked.

Sofia had left sickbay and had thrown herself back into her work despite Scotty's attempts to get her to go and rest. He could tell she was extremely upset over Neil's death, but she knew that if she went back to her quarters that she would just sit there thinking about him. She needed to work.

Amara's mouth felt dry and she gratefully accepted the drink. The liquid was cool and refreshing. Her mind was foggy at first, but then she slowly began to remember everything that had happened. She heard Dr. McCoy's question, but she didn't answer it.

"Fiona...is she alright?" she asked with genuine worry in her voice.

"I think so, I couldn't remove all of the implants but she's not a Borg. I don't have enough information to tell what is going to happen. We need to figure out how they regenerate. She might need to do something simliar to keep her cybernetic components working. Some of them are attached to vital areas," he said. "Those Section 31 nanobots are working overtime eradicating the Borg elements in your body. They seem to work differently when they are removed from your body though and they've undergone some kind of change. I'm not certain what that change is yet," he said.