USS McKenzie: Aftermath

Commander Schaell and Argyle materialized on the bridge of the USS McKenzie. Looking around the bridge crew were working frantically, while Riker was seated at the Captain's chair wearing a holographic interface on his head.

"Take your stations. Good work Lieutenant." Riker ordered the newly arrived officers.

"Their internal systems are still trying to fight me. They are attempting to block any data transfer."

"I have boosted the signal, Captain. We are receiving information now." Simmons reported.

An alarm beeped from Simmons' panel.

"Captain the data transfer has stopped. It appears we got about all we are going to get."

"They are phasing me out of their systems. If we act, we are going to have to move quickly. Suggestions?"

"The McKenzie is showing signs of stress Captain. We have to get out of this nebula now, leave the cube to its own devices. The nebula will take care of it." Simmons recommended.

"We can't risk anyone finding it. Captain we have to destroy it, all of it. Now!" Argyle suggested.

"I agree with Misster Argyle, Captain, Schaell said; "it is our duty to make ssure thiss threat to intersstellar peace is neutralized. I suggesst we ring it with as many torpedoes as we can as we exit the area, then ssend a full sspread to detonate them. the explosion will also ignite the gasses and further ensure the desstruction of that vesssel."

"Like depth charges on antique Terran submarines," Argyle approved with a nod. "Beyond the detonation itself and the ignition of stellar gases, thoses gases will also compress under the concussive force of the blasts and crush even that hulk like an egg." 

"I alsso ssuggesst we record the entire proceedings, both for the benefit our the board of inquiry and when the Romulans will come accusing uss of intending war on them," added the Saurian. 

"I could not have said it any better, Number One." Riker responded.

Still wearing the headpiece that allowed him to interlink with his holographic counterpart, Riker turned to Lieutenant Argyle.

"Mister Argyle prepare a full spread of torp..."

Riker paused slightly.

"Damn!"

"What is it, Captain?" Inquired Simmons.

"I am still linked, and they are fighting with the network. They are blocking me out".

Riker tapped a few commands and soon both Simmons and Argyle had network links at their stations.

"I am sensing a buildup of secondary energies, Captain." Argyle reported.

"It appears to be some kind of last ditch power surge, a weapon perhaps." Simmons added.

Sitting back in the command chair, Riker's eyes twitched as he continued to interact on board the ship, a rat in the construct at this point.

"No, it can't be... Simmons I am sending you everything I am seeing, record it all."

The shock passed over Simmons' face as well, a shock that followed on Argyle's as his panel readings indicated the same thing.

"Subspace... That thing has subspace torpedoes." Argyle stammered out, more confused than angry.

"Add it to the list of violations." Riker noted.

"Noted, Ssir," Schaell acknowledged.

Simmons looked up from his panel.

"Captain, we need to get out of here now."

"All but one ssalvo of torpedoes have been deployed around the cube," Schaell reported. "But if they activate a weapon or even a tractor beam or a deflector field, they could disspersse the mines before we could be far enough to activate them ssafely and effectively."

"We have limited access, deflectors and navigation is about it. I can't abort the launch." Argyle added.

Jumping out of his chair, Riker rushed over to the tactical pannel.

"Lieutenant, move; I have an idea."

Switching between the buttons on his headset interface and the panel, Riker worked frantically for a few moments before Simmons' ops panel began to flash.

"I am about to lose the link. I have given you control of their navigation. On my mark, activate it."

"Navigation? They are too heavily damaged to navigate anywhere, Captain. You want to move the cube? " SImmons asked.

"No, I want to destroy it."

Turning the tactical panel back over to Argyle, Riker mumbled to himself through the interface. Turning to Simmons, he yelled.

"Now!"

With a sliding motion, Simmons activated the interface and the bridge crew watched as the Cube turned into a flash of light. In that instant Riker had used his interface with the cube and their dropped defenses, as they readied for one final attack, to activate navigation. By leaving the system exposed, he had just overridden their safety controls and used what little power the cube had left to send it to warp. The abrasive nature of the nebula shredded the cube apart as it tried to move.

By the time the flash of the warp trail faded, all that was visible on the viewscreen was a three hundred kilometer black streak of dust and debris no bigger than a human thumbnail. The nebula had pulverized the cube into dust. And even as the crew watched, the streak began to blend into the nebula's surroundings. Like the tide does to writings in the sand, the nebula was washing away any trace of the cube.

"Well done, Captain," Schaell said with a nod. "Having the enemy defeat itsself without even firing a sshot adds proof that thiss... Project Legion was as doomed to failure as it was reprehenssible to begin with. You jusst demonstrated the limitss and dangers of too much automation. Given time, expert spies and hackers like Romulans would have found a way not only to neutralize such adversity, but mosst probably even turn it back againsst uss.."

The brief feeling of victory was interrupted by a warning on the tactical panel.

"Captain, I am detecting another object; a small sphere," Argyle reported.

"A Borg esscape module," the Saurian XO recognized immediately. Philter must have tranfered his holoprogram aboard."

As the viewscreen shifted, visible and struggling against the harsh environment of the nebula was a small borg cube. Turning to Commander Schaell, Riker smiled.

"Number One, do you think we have any more depth charges on board?"

"Only that last full salvo we had kept to detonate the others. But, Captain, Philter is not just a machine or even a Borg; he is a sentient being, nevermind a Starfleet officer; killing him outright without him being a clear and present threat or without giving him a chance to surrender and face charges would simply be murder."

"Communications are inoperative because of the nebula's heavy interference," Argyle pointed out. "How are we going to demand his surrender..."

At that moment, a pure white beam of energy struck them. A horrible shearing sound was heard as much as it was felt from somewhere back.

"Engineering to bridge!" called the voice of Chief Thomasson over the ship's comm; "A Borg cuttting beam is carving up our upper half hull right above the engine room! Armor is being vaporized! Hull breach imminent! We're evacuating!"

Although no change came to his reptilian inexpressive face, Schaell obviously sighed and stood up straighter with a jerk of sharp resolve.

"I would sstate for the record that thiss qualifies as clear and present threat, Captain."

With a smile, both Riker and Commander Schaell nodded to Lieutenant Argyle who quickly readied their last spread but kept one torpedo back for detonation while Simmons did all it could to perform evasive maneuvers against the unstoppable destructive ray.

Sitting back in his chair, Riker addressed the bridge.

"Helm, get us out of here. Simmons, make sure we have every last second of our time here. Mister Argyle, fire!"

As the McKenzie turned, she fired the spread of torpedoes which surrounded the slow moving cube. Activating engines, the McKenzie began her course out of the nebula, turning only slightly to fire their last torpedo towards the minefield they had just established. With a brilliant flash of fire, the torpedo detonated and ignited the sitting ones. The flash of fire engulfed the sphere and the surrounding gasses into a massive fireball of blue and orange flames. As the flames expanded, the pressure and heat continued to grow as the sphere crumbled and popped like a swatted fly. The expanding flames dissolved what debris was left and, as the McKenzie headed out of the nebula, the explosion subsided, leaving no trace of any ship whatsoever.

The bridge shook slightly as the McKenzie approached the edge of the nebula, and the shaking subsided as she left its confines and entered normal space. A quick sensor sweep showed no signs of the Romulan patrols.

"Good," said the Saurian; "because we are fressh out of torpedoes. Facing three warbirds, even damaged ones, with only phasers and cannons and damaged armor plating would be rather difficult. But they sshould be back into Romulan Sspace by now, preparing for a war that we jusst might be able to avert before it begins."

Riker stood as he addressed the crew.

"I want damage reports and readiness assessments for all stations. Number One, come with me. We have a subspace communication to put through. I want to have a talk with Admiral Redding."

"Aye, Captain. This promisses to be a mosst interessting converssation."