Discovering An Old Path
Posted on Sat May 21st, 2016 @ 7:53pm by Ensign Six of Ten
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Unimatrix Zero
Unimatrix Zero *
Six stepped into the clearing and stood, enjoying the feel of the grass beneath her bare feet. Several people sat on a small ring of stones a few yards distant, deep in conversation. Calm happiness radiated from them and she smiled. A moment later, she sensed someone watching her and turned to see a tall young man emerge from the trees. He was moving in her direction and smiling.
“Nailini!” His pace increased until he was almost running. He reached her and swept her up in his arms, whirling her around before finally setting her back on her feet. “Where have you been?”
Six stepped back to look up at the young man. “I am Six Of Ten,” she answered. “I’ve been on my station. Where is...here?” As she withdrew her hands from him, she realized the implant that had covered the back of her hand was missing. She reached up to her face and realized there were no implants there either.
The man shook his head. “No, no hardware here. You are in Unimatrix Zero, don’t you remember it?”
Slowly Six shook her head. “It was destroyed in Voyager’s time, by the Queen. Who are you?” She studied him closely and now noticed the slight ridge between his brows. Brenari. She immediately thought of Aros.
The man’s smile faded somewhat. “I am Yanos. How is it that you don’t recall….” He stopped there and reached out, gently stroking her cheek. “This place was restored a year after it’s destruction. Some of the drones escaped who still carried the frequency. But you said you were on a station, how can that be?”
“I was abandoned while taking a ship in the Delta Quadrant three years ago. My link was severed and I was taken to Starfleet, returned to my normal form, with a few implants left. They sent me to the Academy and I am now on Starbase 900.”
“Unassimilated,” Yanos whispered. “You vanished from here at that time without a word. I kept hoping you would return and then slowly I began to think you might have been deactivated...dead.”
“No, just once more an individual.” Six looked around noting that several others had joined the group on the rocks. “Why can I not remember?”
Yanos hesitated briefly. “You do not remember this place, or me either?”
A deep longing came through to Six, crystal clear, and she shook her head. “No, I'm sorry. I sense that you...that we….”
Yanos nodded. “Yes.” He stopped to looked into her eyes and his own widened. “Married? You are?” He frowned suddenly. “To a Romulan? How did that happen?” He was obviously not pleased at the idea of a Romulan being anywhere close to Six.
“He’s not like them. He lives on the station and is a…..”
“A criminal,” Yanos finished for her. ”Although, not completely. He’s...not the original one. I see.”
“Why am I here now after so long?” Six asked. “I was in my quarters on our ship and I heard...her.”
Yanos nodded. “You possessed the frequency to access this place before, so it remained in your transceiver. You must be regenerating now or something has happened to reactivate it in your transceiver. You said you heard the Queen?”
“Yes! She spoke in my head, saying she knew I was out here in Borg space and ordered me to answer. I did not but she kept calling to me. Then...I don’t remember anything after.”
“Likely the contact with the collective is what triggered it then. If your ship is nearing Borg space, you should warn them to get away. If the Queen is calling you, she has a reason and it cannot be good. If you want to keep your crew safe, you have to warn them. I am on a sphere at the main collective, one of her guards. I can keep you informed of her intentions but I am too far away from you to help otherwise.”
“I will. I can’t go back, Yanos, and I won’t have them taken.”
He hugged her close once more. “I’ll do what I can. You must come back here once you have warned them in case I have more news.”
Six nodded but a figure stepping through the trees on the far side of the clearing caught her attention. He looked familiar but before she could ask, the darkness swallowed her once more.
************
Ensign Six Of Ten
Treading In Forgotten Realms
