Stardate: 70503:1200
Title: Deus Ex Machina
Author: Ensign Alex Ross
Time: Following "Red Sky at Morning, Sailors Take Warning"
Scene: The Sphere Control Room


Vaebn Kehn looked on in an almost horrified fascination as the newest member of the Horizon's crew interfaced with main control computer of the sphere yet again. Being a former Borg did have its advantages, Kehn supposed, but the price was far too high for any sentient being to pay. Ensign Sparky didn't utter a word as he stood there, plugged into the mechanical monstrosity, but he didn't have to - he was linked directly to the computer's mind. It's consciousness, so to speak.

"How long should we allow this to go on?" One of the crew asked. It was a question to herself, more than anyone else. Crewmates did not like seeing one of their own, Borg or not, in a danger of such an unknown kind. Any number of things could happen.

Vaebn Kehn shrugged. "I don't like the idea any more than you do. But right now, 'Sparky' is our only source of information."

"Information that doesn't belong to you," Tally Cochran said as he and Alex Ross beamed into the room, phasers drawn and levelled at the away team.

"You've no idea what danger you're in," Ross added, pointing his phaser at the group.

"Ensign Ross," Kehn said calmly, "put the phaser down."

"I am afraid I can't do that, Lieutenant." He turned to Cochran, "Jeffery? Tricorder on... that... 'thing'... " he motioned to the ex-Borg that was Ensign Sparky.

"Yes, sir." Tally handed his phaser to Ross and flipped open a tricorder. "It's a cybernetic organism of some kind, Captain."

"Captain?" Kehn said. Ross merely smiled.

"It's interfaced directly with the computer's main frame," Tally continued. "No countermeasures have been triggered, so far."

"What can we do?" Ross asked.

"Reading some unusual..." Tally trailed off, then adjusted his tricorder and stepped closer to Sparky. He tapped the tricorder several more times and jumped back as Sparky's assimilation tubes leapt forth from his wrist. They seemed to squirm about with a life of their own.

"I wouldn't mess with those, if I were you," Kehn piped up.

"According to my readings, we can use these to join this cyborg's consciousness, effectively putting ourselves back inside the computer again." Tally shook his head. "Never thought I'd hear myself saying something like that, Captain."

"Nor I, Jeffery," Ross replied. He sighed heavily, the weight of command firmly on his shoulders again after two centuries. He did not want to go back, he wanted to search for Jake... his remains at least, but these fools had no idea what they were playing with. Unfortunately for them, he did not have time to explain it to them, either.

Ross looked Vaebn squarely in the eyes.

"I regret we had to meet under such circumstances, Lieutenant. We will aid you all that we can from inside the computer, but time is short."

"Aid us with what?" Kehn asked.

Ross smiled. "That would be telling." He joined Cochran as he stood beside Sparky. "Ready, Jeffery?"

Tally nodded, pressed a button on his tricorder and the assimilation tubes struck he and Ross like coiled cobras. Ross and Cochran dropped the implements they held and sank to their knees. From there, they collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Kehn to Horizon. Medical emergency!"


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Ensign Alex Ross
Operations Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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