Characters and concepts related to Doctor Who and Star Trek, and related marks, are trademarks of the BBC and CBS Studios Inc., respectively. This work of fan fiction is written purely for entertainment purposes, and is not to be used in trade of any kind.To go back and read Part One, click here. Part Two begins after the jump.
Doctor Who and the Borg
by Mark Baker-Wright
Part Two
Captain's log: Stardate 46147.1
My crew is quite uneasy with the news of the Borg presence in Federation territory. We had known that a return from the Borg would be forthcoming after our recent encounter with their shipwrecked survivor, but were still not prepared for their eventual return to our space. While it is my hope that a confrontation will not be necessary, I fear that it will be inevitable.
Captain Picard paced the bridge of the USS Enterprise, a look of concern on his face.
He turned to his Klingon security officer. "Status report, Mr. Worf."
"All weapons systems are operational, Captain. However, they will not withstand a Borg attack."
"What about the weapons that Starfleet has been working on?"
"Most are only just now finishing the experimental stages. None will be ready for Starfleet use for some time." Privately, Worf considered Starfleet Command's reluctance to design these weapons at all. Our mission is exploratory, not military, they had reasoned. Perhaps if Starfleet lost another 40 ships to the Borg, they might see the need for a proper defense against them.
Picard continued, "But this is an emergency situation, Mr. Worf. Aren't there any prototype weapons in existence?"
Before Worf could comment on Starfleet Command's lack of willingness to defend themselves, Riker spoke up.
"Excuse me, Captain, could I speak with you for a moment?"
Picard's head snapped toward Riker, and no one could miss the captain's annoyance. Even so, Picard was the consummate professional. "Of course, Number One. Lt. Commander Data, you have the bridge." Picard then raised his hand toward the Ready Room in a gesture of invitation. "After you?"
As soon as the doors to the Ready Room closed behind them, Riker spoke, "Forgive my bluntness, Captain, but this doesn't sound like you. You've always looked for non-violent solutions. Reasoning before shooting."
Picard struggled to retain his composure. "Ordinarily, I would agree with you, Will, but you can't reason with the Borg!"
"Our experience with Hugh would seem to indicate otherwise."
"Hugh was alone. Isolated from the rest of his kind. When we fight the Borg this time, it won't be just one, but an entire ship full."
"K-9, take a look at those stars. Can you give me some idea of where we are?"
K-9 processed the Doctor's request for several seconds. "Spatial coordinates... Dinar sector... temporal coordinates...insufficient data."
"Well, at least that's something of use. The Dinar system has an inhabitable planet. Maybe we can get some idea of when we are from them."
The Doctor input directional coordinates into the TARDIS control console. As the TARDIS approached Dinar VII, the Doctor met up with a surprise. The planet was being orbited by a large spaceship in the shape of a cube.
"Now that's odd!" the Doctor exclaimed. "No sense of aesthetics whatsoever. What do you make of that K-9?"
"Large cubical spacecraft... unknown design... apparently hostile."
"Hostile?" the Doctor cried. "Now, K-9, you should know better than to make accusations like that. How do they appear hostile?"
"Tractor beam emanating from craft cutting away large portions of planet's surface. No life signs remaining on planet."
"Gadzooks, K-9!" the Doctor shouted. "That ship's hostile!"
Upon learning of the Borg presence near Dinar VII, the USS Enterprise was ordered to proceed to the Dinar system to aid in the evacuation procedures. Although the ship sped to comply with the order, no one really expected that they could possibly arrive in time to make a difference.
In the meantime, faced with the very real possibility of having to face the Borg again, Captain Picard grew visibly more agitated. Doctor Crusher suggested that it might help Picard's focus if he were to take some time off before the Enterprise's arrival, and Picard found that he couldn't disagree. So he decided to go down to the holodeck to partake of his own special brand of relaxation.
"You know, Dick, you really shouldn't have tried to put me and my boys out of business."
"I was hired to find out who was behind the Mancini operation," the captain replied.
"Well," said the man, dressed in a 1940s-era costume, "I would suggest choosing your cases more wisely next time, except that, for you, there won't be a next time." The man began to pull out a pistol, ancient by Enterprise standards, but no less deadly.
But before the pistol could escape the man's pocket, Picard, alias private investigator Dixon Hill, whipped out his own pistol, which he had the holodeck create for him earlier. "I think there will." He coolly replied.
At that moment, Captain Picard heard a sound behind him. Before the captain could turn around, another man from the criminal gang appeared behind him, firing his own weapon.
The holodeck simulation ended, its mortality fail-safe kicking in at the last moment, leaving only an empty room, with Captain Picard standing alone in his trenchcoat, which now had a bullet-sized hole in its back.
"Take some time off," Beverly had told him, "Relax." How could he relax when he was about to go up against the most deadly race known to the Federation? He looked again at the hole in his
trenchcoat. He couldn't even solve an imaginary mystery without getting himself killed. How was he supposed to handle the very real threat of the Borg?
To Be Continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment