Stardate: 70506:1400
Title: Uncontrolled Outburst
Author: Ensign 'Sparky' (Three of Thirteen)
Time: Following "Deus Ex Machina"
Scene: The Virtual World and the Sphere Control Room


Three had just re-entered the Virtual World when the computer consciousness came to him.

*You have returned. Do you wish to discuss the planet below or its inhabitants in more detail?*

Three detected an almost undetectable sense of desperation from the computer. It was as if it was starved for interaction.

"Let us continue our discussion. Why is this sphere here? Why has it encased this planet like it has? What exactly is your purpose?" Three asked.

As he was asking his questions he suddenly felt something he had not felt since he had been separated from the Borg Collective - he felt the presence of multiple minds trying to communicate at one time. Three was certain that a human mind would have lost all sense of reality, but then Three was not human. It was only uncomfortable.

Strangely enough, it ended almost as fast as it had started. The computer seemed to pull back as it happened and then it slowly returned.

*You are not like the others. They could not talk to the mind like you just did. They all seemed to become different after they encountered the mind.*

"The mind? Are you referring to your central programming matrix?" Three enquired.

*I mean MY mind. This is all my mind. It is far stronger and more developed than any being I have seen in the time since my creation. Those on the planet below need me - that is why I am here. My creators decided they did not need me any longer so I brought beings that would need me. I brought them like I brought your ship. Soon you shall need me as well.*

This statement would have alarmed Three, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the 'mind' again. It came so suddenly that Three suddenly found himself back in the Collective. His instinctive training came back and he felt his assimilators impact with something. There was a sudden jolt and then Three was back in the Virtual World.

However, when he returned, he found that there were two others with him.

"Who are you? I am..." Three began.

*You must leave this place now. Get out of this computer while you still can or you will end up like us,* one of the new entities warned him.

Three began to question the new entity, but was interrupted by the computer.

*No, you cannot go! You must stay here!*

The computer's security systems suddenly came online, and Three found himself in a battle to retreat from the system. The security systems were not trying to remove a threat, but were actually attempting to pull his consciousness into the computer.

Three looked to the two new minds and then simply shook his head.

"I am sorry."

*We know, do what you must. We will help you as much as we can.*

With that Three began to send off various virus-like entities into the system. They would not cause any actual harm, they would just cause the system to become more interested in defense than attack. Unfortunately, this system acted differently than others he had encountered, and it took much longer than Three liked for the system to begin to slow.

Three decided that it was far more dangerous to stay than to simply cut his connection. With that thought he mentally closed his eyes and ripped his arm from the console back in the Control Room.


=/\= Sphere Control Room =/\=

Lieutenant Kehn was scanning Ross and Cochran when he heard a grunt of pain come from Three. He quickly turned just in time to see Three turn look at him and then at the two fellow crew, immediately seeing the puncture wounds caused by his assimilators. The look that came over Three's normally emotionless face could be described as one of both horror and rage.

Without saying anything else, Three pushed past the Lieutenant and placed his hands on both Ross and Cochran.

"I am sorry, Sir, but you cannot help them unless I do this."

With that Three turned back to the Console and quickly re-entered the system.

What the others saw next nearly caused the away team to pull Three off of Ross and Cochran. The assimilator tubules reattached themselves the both of them and a third attached itself to the console. All three bodies suddenly arched their backs and looks of extreme pain came over each of them. Ross and Cochran eventually calmed and seemed to enter a very deep sleep, but Three continued to look as if he was in extreme pain.

Finally, unable to take anymore, one of the other members of the away team reached for Three. There was a small flash of light, similar to a slight electrical discharge, and the crewman was thrown back a few feet; they weren't harmed, just stunned, but this caused the others to back away from them.

Lieutenant Kehn, however, didn't back away and began to take scans of Three, Ross and Cochran. He was beginning to get some unusual readings when Three let out a scream of extreme pain and then sagged to the ground, breaking his connection with the console and Ross and Cochran.

"They will be fine now. Their minds have been restored," Three 'explained' even though visibly exhausted before collapsing heavily to the floor and remaining there.


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Ensign 'Sparky' / Three of Thirteen
Tactical Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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