Cooperative Solution
The Nexus continued its relentless battle against the black Borg cube. With each blast of its eight energy beams, raw plasma was siphoned from the Borg cube back through the beams into the Nexus's weapon battery and regenerative nanite replicator. The harder the Nexus fought, the stronger its weapons became, and the healthier the hull grew. Shield emitters were being repaired, engines were coming back online, and all systems were gradually being restored.
The Nexus skillfully drained the life out of the Borg Cube, which persisted in its relentless onslaught. One by one, the Nexus eliminated weapons arrays and turned the cube's own energy against it.
"Borg cube has sustained heavy damage, sir!" Veirik called out; there were still only four on the bridge. The nanites had done an excellent job fixing the ship, but the crew was a different story.
"But it still won't budge!" Anzyl replied. "We need it gone before more cubes arrive."
"We need to puncture their warp core," Veirik explained. "These nicks and cuts on the surface won't do a thing to the cube as a whole."
"Agreed," Neil stated at the science station. "Scans show the external docking port is the fastest path to the deep interior. I say we blast it with all we got until we bore into the core."
"Agreed," Anzyl nodded as he piloted the ship around the cube.
On one of the six sides had a circular gateway for Borg Spheres to leave the cube, resembling the one dot of a six-sided die. The Nexus halted in front of the gateway and opened fire. Eight pink beams fired on the gateway, creating a fiery spectacle akin to a laser light show at an amusement park, concluding with explosive bursts. Pieces of shrapnel and Borg parts flew out as the Nexus drilled into the Borg cube, reminiscent of a futuristic miner digging for gold in solid rock.
"We have penetrated 15% of the hull, the warp core is in the center at 50%," Neil scanned. "Hang on, the Borg cube is here!" he yelled out.
With a flash of light, an equally massive Borg cube exited warp. Menacing black twisted and bent metal, but this one was lit up with blue lights instead of green.
"Incoming hail, sir," Eroga stated.
"The Borg don't hail…" Anzyl said, confused, standing up from the Helm to his usual center position. "On screen."
"Greetings, Captain. I am Hugh, First Liberator of the Borg Cooperative." A middle-aged man stood in a black uniform, combed black hair, and remnants of Borg prosthetics on his eyebrows. And standing next to him was a young Brunali man in his late twenties, wearing a red Starfleet uniform. "And I am Lt. Commander Icheb, Liaison Officer of Starfleet to the Borg Cooperative. We'll handle it from here, Captain." Icheb bowed. "And you may want Two of Three with you; we could use his assistance."
Completely dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, Anzyl tapped his combadge. "Praxas to Two of Three… Your friends are here… Can you come to the bridge, please?"
A second later, a flash of white, and Two of Three steps off the teleport pad onto the bridge, joy erupting from his face, "Hugh! Icheb! It is good to see you!"
"It is good to see you as well, T," Hugh nodded, both smiling. "Pleasantries aside, we have a cube to liberate."
Two of Three nodded, smiling, "That you do. The Nexus is here to help in any way we can!"
Anzyl looked at him in surprise by T's sudden self-promotion to Captain, "Yeahp, we sure are. Any way we can."
The large Cooperative Borg cube fired an array of blue wide beams at the Collective cube, the remains of the Pakled vessel, and all the other destroyed and assimilated ships of the flotilla.
But unlike the collective, there were no explosions, no eruptions, just a blue beam emanating onto the collective vessels.
Sensing the bridge crew's confusion, T explained what was happening, "The Individuality virus is being uploaded to the cube and ships. They are being liberated, severed from the collective, and being shown the freedom and individuality of the Cooperative."
"So…?" Anzyl asked for more clarification.
"My people are gaining several hundred thousand more to the Cooperative today." T looked at the captain with thankful gratitude.
"Hey, do NOT thank me or us!" Anzyl held up his hands in dismissal. "We were going to blow them to smithereens! This is all Hugh and Icheb."
—
"Captain's Log Stardate 87144.7
All borg drones In the Borg cube, pakled vessel, and even two ensigns from the Nexus have been successfully 'Liberated' and are free to go. As a show of good faith, Hugh, Icheb, and Cooperative aboard their vessel have assisted the flotilla with repairs to the damage the Collective had wrought.
As for the Nexus crew, we have one more 'Social Mixer' to attend in the Melting Pot, however I don't think It will be that bad."
"I will always appreciate these social events" Hugh stated sipping an actual cocktail.
"I would have to admit," Icheb smiled softly looking at the light thru his glass of champagne, "They are growing on me."
"I find them dull as ever…" Two of Three stated, looking soberly down at his glass of champagne. "Just like everything else…" he muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry, Two of Three. Did you say something?" Anzyl asked, perfectly hearing his disheartened words.
"Nothing, Captain," Two said, shaking his head, "Nothing worth repeating."
Intrigued, Icheb tilted his head. "Tell me, Two of Three, after many years of being liberated by the Cooperative, why do you still use your Collective designation?"
"That IS a good question!" Anzyl turned to his chief medical officer. "I always wanted to know that too."
Uncomfortable with the topic, Two of Three tried to think of an excuse, but none worthwhile came up. So, he decided to tell the truth. "I honestly… don't remember my real name," he stated, looking down in shame. "I was assimilated hundreds of years ago, and any memories of my prior life are long gone," he sadly shook his head, "or deeply dormant…or…whatever."
"Did you say dormant?" Anzyl asked as a lightbulb went off in his head.
Two of Three nodded softly, nervously looking away, breaking eye contact.
"Hold that thought." Anzyl said as he dashed away from his small conversational circle. He was walking steadily to Diela, who was sitting at a table with a Vulcan.
—
A few moments later, in a secluded and quiet corner booth of the Melting Pot, Diela sat with Two of Three, the Captain, Hugh, and Icheb.
"Diela is an Enaran," Anzyl explained to the four people who were fully aware of everything about Enarans.
"And Enarans have the capability of pulling dormant and ancestral memories to the fore!" Two of Three stated, a glimmer of hope rose in his face.
Nodding softly, Diela instructed, "Now clear your mind, and focus," she closed her eyes as T closed his.
"Think back…" Diela encouraged softly, her hand gently on T's cybernetic chest, "back to when you were not a Borg yet," she had to sift through centuries of dark and cruel memories of Two of Three as a Borg drone.
Wincing in pain at the atrocities she saw in the poor man's mind, she urged, "Back… further.. go back…"
Suddenly, a sunny memory was pulled from the depths of his subconscious.
"There! Stop!" She halted and exhaled a sigh of relief, "Here… relive this memory. Let it play out," she instructed.
---
The memory was of a bright and sunny day in a utopian outdoor park, with friendly faces and smiles all around. There, Two of Three stood, not as a Borg, but a fully fleshed El-Aurian young man in the prime of his life and at peak physical condition.
---
"Oh! Look at you! You were quite the charmer!" Diela giggled. Both she and Two had their eyes closed, he hand inches from his body, "Continue here, dwell in the moment."
---
The young El-Aurian man, well-groomed and wearing a sleek suit, stood before his loved ones.
---
"My wedding day…" Two whispered, "I got married that day…" A soft smile spread across his face.
"Yes. Good… continue." Diela encouraged.
---
The wedding proceeded as his darling bride standing before him, their hands interlocked, eyes gazing deeply into each other. Soon, the words he seemed to cherish came out of the young man's mouth. Two of Three gasped in delight.
"And I, Tegris Talhad, take you Cidni Dozot, to be my companion forever," the young man vowed in front of his family and friends.
---
"Tegris Talhad…" Two of three softly opened his eyes, looking up at the Captain and his friends, "My name is Tegris Talhad!" For the first time in centuries, tears fell from his eyes in happiness. Looking around at his friends in sheer delight and joy, "Captain!" He stood up, gripping Anzyl by the shoulders. "My name is Tegris Talhad!"
"That's fantastic…" Anzyl grinned and couldn't help but say, "That's great news…T!"