Wednesday 29 September 2021

Ride The Scorpion’s Back









“There's a story I heard as a child, a parable, and I never forgot it --

A Scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side. 
Suddenly he saw A Fox. 

He asked The Fox to take him on his back across The River. The Fox said, “No. If I do that you'll sting me, and I'll drown.”

The Scorpion assured him, “If I did that, we'd both drown.”

So The Fox thought about it and finally agreed. So The Scorpion climbed up on his back, and The Fox began to swim. 

But halfway across The River, The Scorpion stung him. As The Poison filled his veins, The Fox turned to The Scorpion and said “WHY did you DO that? Now you'll drown too.”

I couldn't help it,” said The Scorpion.It's My Nature.



CHAKOTAY
I'm going to end This Alliance Here and Now. 
We're going to drop The Borg off 
on the next uninhabited planet, 
give them the nanoprobes 
and take our chances alone. 

They can wait for a Borg ship to pick 
Them up and finish The Weapon. 

I'm in command now and I have to do what I think is best for This Crew. 

Tom, I want you to scan for the nearest uninhabited planet and set a course. 


PARIS
Aye, sir. 


TUVOK
I must caution you, Commander. 
The Borg may not go quietly.


CHAKOTAY
We'll see. Bring that female drone 
to the Ready room. Dismissed.

[Ready room]
CHAKOTAY
Once we've beamed you to the surface, 
we'll send down the nanoprobes 
and all our research.


SEVEN
Unacceptable
We don't have time for 
—


CHAKOTAY
This isn't open for discussion. 
I'm not turning This Ship around. 
You're getting What You Wanted. 
I suggest we part ways amicably.


SEVEN
There is another option. 
We could assimilate your vessel.

CHAKOTAY
If a single drone steps one millimetre out of that Cargo Bay, 
I'll decompress the entire deck. 
You won't pose much of A Threat floating in Space.


SEVEN
When Your Captain first approached Us, 
We suspected that an agreement 
with humans would prove 
impossible to maintain. 

You are erratic, conflicted, disorganised

Every decision is debated, every action questioned.

Every individual entitled to 
their own small opinion. 

You lack harmony, cohesion, greatness

It will be your undoing.


CHAKOTAY: 
Escort our guest back to the Cargo Bay.

[Sickbay]
(Chakotay briefs his comatose Captain.) 


CHAKOTAY
Well, I've made My Decision. 
If it were only a matter of going against the orders of my superior officer. 
You're more than just my Captain. 
You're my friend. 
I hope you'll understand.

[Cargo Bay Two]

BORG [OC]: 
Species 8472 has penetrated Matrix zero one zero, grid nineteen. 

Eight planets destroyed. 
Three hundred twelve vessels disabled. 
Four million, six hundred twenty one Borg eliminated. 

We must seize control of the Alpha Quadrant vessel, 
and take it into the alien realm. 


SEVEN
We understand. 

(Seven enters a Jefferies tube.)

[Bridge]
PARIS
Class H moon. 
Oxygen-argon atmosphere.


CHAKOTAY
It'll do. Take us out of warp 
and enter orbit.


PARIS
Aye, sir.


CHAKOTAY
Tuvok. Stand by to transport the Borg directly from the Cargo Bay. 
After they're on the surface, have security run a sweep of 
—

KIM: 
I'm reading power fluctuations in the deflector array.


CHAKOTAY: 
Cause?


KIM
It looks like The Borg 
have accessed deflector control. 
They're trying to realign the emitters.


CHAKOTAY
Shut them out.
KIM: They've bypassed security protocols.
(A green beam is emitted from the deflector dish.) 


TORRES: 
We're emitting a resonant graviton beam. 
It's creating another singularity.


CHAKOTAY: 
Reverse course.


PARIS: 
We're fighting intense gravimetric distortion. 
I can't break free. 


CHAKOTAY
Bridge to Cargo Bay Two : 
Stop what you're doing
or I'll depressurise that deck and blow you out into Space. 
This is your final warning. 
Do it! 


(Borg drones are expelled from Voyager. Seven manages to hang on in the Jefferies tube.) 


TUVOK
Decompression cycle complete.


KIM
I still don't have deflector control.


TUVOK: 
Commander, A Single Borg 
has Survived.


PARIS: 
We're being pulled in!
CHAKOTAY: Report.
TUVOK: We appear to have crossed an interdimensional rift.


PARIS: 
We've definitely left Our Galaxy. 
No stars, no planets.


CHAKOTAY: 
Let's see.

(The viewscreen shows a murky brown green expanse.) 


TORRES
I'm re-calibrating sensors. 
The entire region is filled with some kind of organic fluid. 

This isn't Space. It's matter.


SEVEN
Commander Chakotay. 
We have entered 
The Domain of Species 8472. 
Report to the Cargo Bay.


CHAKOTAY: 
Paris, repressurise Cargo Bay two. Tuvok.


[Cargo Bay Two]

SEVEN
Our entry into fluidic space has created a compression wave. 
They know We're Here. 

A fleet of bioships is already converging on our position. 

Time to intercept, three hours, 
seventeen minutes.


CHAKOTAY
You've been here before. 
How else could you know about fluidic space?


SEVEN
We must prepare This Ship for The Altercation. 
We will construct a complement 
of biomolecular warheads. 


CHAKOTAY
Why? Why were you here? 
You started This War, didn't you? 

What's the matter, Our Galaxy 
wasn't big enough for you? 
You had to conquer new territory? 

But this race fought back
A species as malevolent as your own.


SEVEN
Species 8472 was more resistant than we anticipated. 
Their technology is biogenically engineered. 

It is Superior to that of 
all species we have previously encountered.


TUVOK
Which is precisely what you wanted.


SEVEN
They are The Apex 
of Biological Evolution. 

Their assimilation would have greatly added to 
Our Own Perfection.

TUVOK
So instead of assimilating these aliens you opened a door for them to our galaxy. 


SEVEN
There is only one course of action. 
Destroy Them first

My subspace link to The Collective 
has been weakened by 
the interdimensional rift. 

We cannot signal for help. 
We are alone

We must construct a compliment of biomolecular warheads and modify your weapons to launch them.


CHAKOTAY
I've got a better idea. 
Why don't you open that rift again 
and take us back?

SEVEN
If I did that, you will 
no longer cooperate.

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