Star Trek Nisus: [Preview]

[Admiral Cross]

Alpha Quadrant - Sector 001 – Earth
Stardate: 186749.59 [Year 2509]

When the war ended finally, anyone that survived…wished they were dead, including myself.
- Fleet Admiral Karena Janeway – The Battle of Earth


She almost fell into her chair, she continued to stare at the scene that was unfolding in front of her eyes, and suddenly something jolted her back into reality.

“Admiral Jacobs hailing us ma’am” reported the young officer, she didn’t know his name, he just transferred before they arrived at Sol.

“Open the channel Mr. Kor… Simons” she stopped herself barely in time, the officer noticed it, but did not make any comments.

“Congratulations, Karena, you did it, the war is over” was all the stern man had said, and just like that his image disappeared, just like many other things in her life.

“25 billion people died today, and he says Congratulations" she got up and walked towards the lift "Commander you have the bridge. I want a full fleet report within the hour, along with the final body count. I will be in sickbay if you need me” She did not even bother waiting for a response.

Body count, she no longer cared what words she used. Either way it only killed more of herself, there was no end to it. She dreaded the day she found out the enitre cost of the war, she might as well be included in that tally, because every ounce of her humanity would be gone that day.

The walk from the lift to sickbay seemed to take forever, and it only reminded her of what took place. She stumbled on more then one body, in the corridor. Some she recognized others she did not, some half assimilated. Corridors torn to pieces, burn out consoles everywhere, there was not a part left that was not marked by a scar. When she finally reached sickbay, she saw the only glimmer of humanity left.

He was a man in his late seventy’s, still extremely handsome and one of the few people to survive this last battle. He looked at her the second she walked in,and did not even say anything, he simply put his arms around her,and she began to weep.

“Damn this war, damn the Borg, damn humanity, damn them all!” was all she said as she continued to weep without being able to stop.

“It’s alright, it’s over… “He didn’t know what else to say, but he knew how she felt. The Great War took everything, from anyone that came across it. The death toll was in the trillions, thousands of worlds destroyed, uninhabitable for generations. Entire species wiped out, and he witnessed much of it, the worst of it.

After two hours of crying, she felt completely drained and she saw that he was as well. She rubbed her shoulder, and he saw it. “Is your shoulder bothering you, let me check it?” he told her and moved away.

“No, that’s alright I will do it later, it’s been months since I had it checked out, another couple of hours wont matter.” she replied grimly.

“Karena! Your Borg parts are crucial to your body; you need to keep them regulated. I should be able to remove all of your Borg components in a couple of months, and replace them with real body parts, until then you can’t ignore this, now lay down and I will run a few tests,” replied with a worried but stern voice.

“We will do it later, for now I have to deal with the end of this war” she replied with a slight undertone of command.

“You know I outrank you when it comes to medical concerns,” he snapped back to her, with just the same voice. She knew she could not win against him in this case, but he was more afraid of her then he would ever let on.

“I need to see her” she asked him slowly, even though she knew the answer. She was almost twice his age and she decided long ago to distance herself from anyone and to never get involved until it was over, but somewhere along the way they fell in love.

“Are you sure that is such a good idea?” he knew this would come, he hoped she would change her mind.

“I have to; I need too no matter what” she walked up to him “Jake she is still my mother”

After some debate, he agreed to accompany her to the brig. Along the way, people stared blindly at them, and they all looked completely lost.

They walked into the brig; a security detail was watching one individual in a cell. She kept on pacing back and forth, and starred at Karena when she walked in.

Karena looked at the guards “wait outside” the guards did not move they just continued to look at her. “I am the highest ranking officer in this quadrant, and I am giving you a direct order, and in less you all want to find yourselves being ensigns again I suggest you listen to it” they moved out very fast after that comment, she almost gave herself a slight smile.

“Release me” the woman said.

“No. The war is over, we won” she did not take her eyes of the drone.

“We are Borg, and you should know by now that we will adapt” was all that she replied.

The conversation would go nowhere, Karena suddenly realized. She had held out hope that once the collective was destroyed, she would return to her individual state.

“You are no longer Borg, the collective is gone, you have no more drones, you are an individual person again” she said coldly. Karena moved closer, hoping to see some remains of the person she cared for so much, even now. She helped up a pad that had a picture of a human female. “You are Kathryn Janeway…”

“Kathryn Janeway ceased to exist 113 years ago, I am the Queen of the Borg”

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Chapter One forthcomming, in about a week.