( clearing throat ) edon... hello. how are you feeling? i'm all right. my feet are a little swollen. a little? they've never been this bad. well, there's a zero-grav tumbling performance on the promenade tonight. do you want to go? well, maybe. you can't go standing around for an hour. hey, chief, would you mind leaving us alone for a minute? well, i'll take over. i think it's time. you got to do it harder. i know how. it's time. you got to work up the legs. it's time! ( grunts ) odo: now, if i were you i'd hold this shape.

ah. odo: wait a minute. i had to try that three times before you caught on. actually, the first two times i didn't hold my shape on purpose. you're not serious. i suppose i didn't want to give you the satisfaction. hmph. well, someday, if you're very lucky... this changeling... will give you the satisfaction of saying "thank you very much. you did so much for me." then again... it may leave... the way you did. it will announce

and you will never... hear from it again. i'm going to get something to eat. ( rustling ) ( both laughing quietly )

the eyes are incredible. for a minute there put that down; we're celebrating. it's just that i've fallen behind in my security reports over these last few days. well, you can catch up later. aren't you excited about what happened? of course, i'm excited. you know, tomorrow we can expose the changeling to some simple life-forms so it can mimic them-- some algae, some fungus in a few more days, maybe even an invertebrate. i can't wait until i communicate with it. there's so much i want it to see

the changeling is developing far faster than you did. i don't mean that as a criticism. if anything, it's a compliment. i was wrong. your approach to communicating to the changling was sound. i mean, don't you see? it's reaching out to you; it's curious about you. the first time you ever did anything like that was when you formed a tentacle to slap my hand away from the control panel. i remember. you formed a connection with this changeling. that is something i was never able to do with you. that's not true. i respected you. you feared me. you didn't know what i was. you were experimenting on what looked like a lump of organic residue.

you don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that. i'm sorry. i know this kind of talk makes you uncomfortable. but i suppose it's all my fault. if i hadn't poked and prodded you so much you may have grown up with a less forbidding disposition. well, something tells me no matter what we do to that changeling it's going to have a more pleasant disposition than mine. it's just the way i am. well... i'll leave you to your work. dr. mora? ( clearing throat ) two glasses of champagne, please.

( breathing deeply ) the baby has turned. it's time. awake, child. we await you with love. and welcome you into the world. why don't you stay there? i can't see from here. exactly. it's my baby. shh. it would make nerys uncomfortable. she's lived in my home five months. be quiet. meaning what? look, i missed molly's birth. i won't miss this one. i'm trying to have a baby. i am sick

tween the two of you. now, if one of you says one more word you're going to have to leave. just tell him to... just tell him to... okay, out-- both of you. kira... nerys... go. you're joking. does it look like she's joking? out. nice going. oh, do me a favor. aby leave my girlfriend out of it, huh? comes to... 324. i'm going to have to start watering the drinks again. ( clanking ) constable? quark! what are you doing back there?

we're closed. have a seat. you're in a good mood. yes, i am. which means you're probably about to arrest me on some trumped-up charge. not at all. i am buying you a drink. why? dr. mora has gone to sleep, and i... still feel like celebrating. what are you up to? can't you just accept that? no. it doesn't fit. if you're happy there's something very wrong in the world. the center cannot hold. there we go. i've got it. you're getting back at me for selling you that sick changeling. actually, i should thank you. if you want the money back, just say so. it changed my life.

i don't know what i did, but i did it. just stop. i can't take it anymore. do you ever think about having children? huh? see, i never did. it just seemed like too much trouble but then fate... dropped one into my lap... and i couldn't be happier. cheers. it's strange. over the past few months e any contact with my people again. they rejected me. they turned me into a humanoid and... part of me was lost forever. but that... little ball of goo back in the lab changed everything. i feel as if i'm...

to be a changeling again. and somehow... being a solid doesn't seem so bad anymore. ( both laughing ) fill me up. computer: security chief odo, please acknowledge. go ahead. the life-form being monitored is displaying biomimetic fluctuations beyond stated parameters. have dr. mora meet me in the science lab. acknowledged. what's happened? its morphogenic matrix is destabilizing.

its lifesigns are fading. the radiation damaged its cytoplasm in a way we couldn't detect. there must be something you can do. ic induction. that might stabilize the biomimetic fluctuations. it's worth a shot. it has to work. odo, please, wait outside. we'll do everything we can. i feel... so good.

here he comes. keiko... would you do me a favor? kira said you can both come back in if you promise to behave. oh, after you. oh, no. after you. please... will you two get in here? you're going to miss everything. that's it, nerys. relax. let it come. breathe. that's right.

ohh. look at him, miles. he's beautiful. ( crying ) there's nothing we could do. i'm sorry. it won't be very long now. please... don't die. there's so much i want to show you.

remember? ( gasping ) what happened? where did it go? it somehow integrated itself into odo's body. ( gasping ) odo, what's wrong? it can't be! what? ( gasping ) ( people murmuring )

this, uh, might be a good time to take some leave and come down to bajor. mmm... maybe in a few weeks. right now, i feel like staying here. so you can be close to the baby. mm-hmm. he's a good-looking boy. he is, isn't he? computer: all passengers bound for bajor should board at this time. you'd better go.

? lend him a helping hand. ? ? put a little love in your heart. ? ? take a good look around... ? ? ...and if you're lookin' down, ? ? put a little love in your heart. ? ?put a little love in your heart.? ? in your heart. ? (avo) the subaru share the love event is happening now and will have given ninety million dollars

how does it feel to be yourself again? i just... wish it hadn't happened the way it did. i am sorry. if it helps... think of it as a gift... something the changeling wanted you to have. think... i finally understand how much i meant to you... and what you must have gone through when i left. you had to find your own way in the world. i should have included you in my life.

take care of yourself, odo. ( clearing throat ) major. uh, i thought the o'briens were having a party. shakaar and i stopped by. i didn't feel much like celebrating. oh? needed my help. i never wanted a baby. but now? i just wish i could hold him in my arms... and never let him go. i think i know how you feel, nerys. want to take a walk?

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last time onstar trek: voyager: begin a salvage operation. captain? there might be something we can use-- weapons, a transwarp coil. is it true your parents were studying the borg? yes. the hansens were exobiologists. are. i'm not leaving without you. then you will be assimilated. they're gone captain. welcome home. and now the conclusion. you've changed. your exo-plating...

they've taken you apart... and they've re-created you in their own image. hair... garments... but at the core, you are still mine. the borg have changed as well. i expected re-assimilation, not conversation. i see they've also given you a sense of humor. my humor is my own. spoken like a true individual. the last two years must have been a remarkable experience. you are unique. my experience will add to your perfection. yes.

you believe thatvoyager liberated you from the collective. did you really think we would surrender you so easily? explain. you must be tired. it's time to regenerate. we've adapted an alcove just for you. go. it will help order your thoughts. l continue our conversation.

[captioning sponsored by paramount television united paramount network

no sign of borg activity. we made a clean getaway. the sphere? it hasn't shown up on long-range sensors or subspace telemetry. it could be anywhere in the quadrant by now. scan for residual transwarp signatures. understood. why choose this moment to rejoin the collective? maybe she'd been planning it all along. she's had any number of opportunities to leave before now. but never direct access to a borg vessel. "i will betray you." that's what she said two years ago when you disconnected her from the hive. two days ago, she told me

most of the debris, but before we vaporize it i'd like to melt down the larger fragments and extract the polytrinic compounds. makes sense. that leaves just one item: seven of nine's alcove. it requires a lot of power-- over 30 megawatts. should i deactivate it? no, leave it alone. janeway: computer, run a transpectral analysis on all subspace fluctuations. (door beeping) yes? a member of the crew has requested an appointment with the captain. i informed her that you were occupied, but she was insistent. whatever it is, i'm sure commander chakotay

request granted. send her in. permission to submit a proposal for your review. proposal? it's a rescue operation for seven of nine. oh... you created this plan all by yourself? yes, ma'am. you see, if we change our long-range sensors maybe we can find her. the delta quadrant is a very big place and seven could be thousands of light-years from here. what if we boosted our sensor range with power from the main deflector? you've been spending too much time in engineering. i'm afraid it's not quite that simple

d. captain? you're not going to give up, are you? there are three things to remember about being a starship captain: keep your shirt tucked in go down with the ship... (quietly): and never abandon a member of your crew. (computer beeps) transpectral analysis complete. take a look at this, naomi. what do you see? sensor logs. janeway: these aren't random energy fluctuations. they're borg com signals and they were all directed at cargo bay two. you mean the borg were talking to seven of nine?

borg queen: good morning. my visual cortex... it's been altered. we've enhanced it with borg technology. you've seen through human eyes long enough. it's a neural processing adjunct remove it. you prefer to remain small. i prefer to remain unique. don't be afraid. we won't turn you into a drone. you're much too valuable to us with your individuality intact. they've corrupted you... but the damage can be repaired.

why? isn't it obvious? you're going to help us assimilate humanity. we failed in our first attempt to assimilate earth and we won't succeed the next time unless we understand the nature of their resistance. we want you to be our eyes. let us see humanity. while i was regenerating, you assimilated my memories. our thoughts are one. then you already possess all of my knowledge. what more do you want? you are the only borg that has ever returned to a state of individuality. we want to keep you exactly the way you are. otherwise, you would lose your human perspective. we don't want another drone. we want you.

what's happening? our vessel is disengaging from the unicomplex. we're setting a course for grid 5-3-2. state our purpose. assimilation. our presence is not required but i thought the experience would be a rewarding one for you. ecies 1-0-0-2-6. how many life-forms? 392,000. you're experiencing compassion-- a human impulse. you've forgotten what it means to be borg.

it's been a busy week. the cube linked with another borg vessel and received over 50,000 new drones. we now begin the dangerous task of identifying the newcomers. species 6961... ktarian... tritanium infrastructure. he's a tactical drone. take a look at his proximity transceiver. let's check his previous designation.

unimatrix one. i want to keep an eye on this one. let's tag him. bring me the subdermal probe, will you? is he special? veryspecial. we think he used to work near the borg queen. if he ever goes back there... we'll be able to track him now. does the queen have a throne? nobody knows. we think she's more like the queen of an insect colony. e helps coordinate all the other drones. (alarm buzzes) his regeneration cycle's almost complete. we better get him back. bye. he's in his alcove. nobody missed him. enough drones for one day. anybody hungry? me. you two go ahead. i want to read through his cranial transceiver logs

don't be long. chakotay: it turns out his hunch was right-- the drone had been receiving direct commands from this... borg queen. i analyzed the com signals. look at the transpectral frequencies. they match the ones that were sent to seven. what did the hansens learn one thing is certain-- she contacted seven of nine and the next day, seven rejoined the borg. obviously, she exerts some influence. you think seven was instructed to leavevoyager? instructed... coerced. sheinsistedshe join the away team. she was adamant that if she didn't board that sphere our mission would fail. sounds to me like she was being threatened. my instincts told me she was

i didn't pursue it. i let her go. if you hadn't, we might all be drones by now. what's running through that collective mind of yours? you've got thousands of species to choose from billions of individuals. why seven of nine? you should've assimilated us while you had the chance. captain? i want you to keep analyzing the hansens' database. compile a list of every technology they created to track the borg. assemble a team of engineers to assist you. if you're planning a rescue mission that research will only take us so far. oh? i've studied their log entries long enough to realize that as brilliant as the hansens were they made a fatal mistake. they became overconfident.

tactical rescue. it could take days, even weeks, to find our missing crewman. lieutenant torres is equipping thedelta flyer with the transwarp coil. it'll allow us to cover more territory. an away team will take it into transwarp space where tuvok believes we can track the sphere that abducted seven of nine. thanks to the hansens, we'll be well-prepared for an encounter with the borg. their multi-adaptive shielding will make theflyer virtually invisible to borg sensors and narrow beam transporters te the sphere. mr. paris, you'll man the helm. commander tuvok, tactical. doctor, there's no telling what condition seven will be in when we find her. you'll come along. i'll be leading the away team. the rest of you will remain onvoyager and maintain position at the threshold of our transwarp conduit. we may need tactical support when we return. you'll be taking your orders from commander chakotay. we'll be searching for one individual among thousands of drones...

t to let her go. let's get started. all systems go. we're ready for the jump. bring the coil on-line. prepare for transwarp. we're at critical velocity. engage, mr. paris. trswarp in four... three...

we've arrived. are you ready? i have familiarized myself with the species. (weapons' fire) 39 of their vessels are converging on our position. they're firing weapons. our shields are failing. we will be destroyed. how do you propose we adapt? i was thinking the same thing. adaptation complete. they're no longer a threat. go to the primary assimilation chamber. you'll monitor the bio-extraction process. you look reluctant. maybe i've been

you can assist with the repairs to our shield matrix instead. seven of nine... be efficient. (distant yelling)

(groans) (gasps)

assist me. i am not borg. i will help you escape. assist me. i'm detecting one of your vessels. it's heavily damaged. the crew is dead. the borg are ignoring it. its propulsion system is still functioning. i will transport you aboard. remain there until the borg leave orbit. then set a course on a heading

do you understand? regarding? assimilation is complete. 300,000 individuals have been transformed into drones. should they be congratulated as well? they should be. they've left behind their trivial, selfish lives and they've been reborn with a greater purpose. we've delivered them from chaos... into order.

me instead of "resistance is futile." you may elicit a few volunteers. you cling to sarcasm because you are afraid to see the truth. species 1-0-0-2-6 is already adding to our perfection. you can feel their distinctiveness coursing through us... enhancing us. stop resisting. take pleasure in this. i will not take pleasure e. human sentiment... compassion... guilt... empathy... they're irrelevant. not to me. "me"? there is no me. there is only us... one mind. my thoughts are my own. we've overlooked something... a ship...

they're trying to escape. how do you suggest we proceed? destroy the vessel or assimilate it? neither. there are only four life-forms and the vessel is heavily damaged. it would be an inefficient use of our resources. we should ignore it. in this case, our thoughts are not one. if those individuals are allowed to survive species 1-0-0-2-6 will survive and continue to resist us... but that's what you were hoping for, wasn't it? you tried to mask their life signs... but i detected them. release the vessel.

but you are a difficult pupil. abandon your human frailties. they are the cause of your pain. let them go... please.

hi mom... just checking back to see how you're doing. i'll be alright. but it was a shock. i never saw it coming. i know. i can't believe they would let you go, ings are starting to sink in. i realize i've got decisions to make. like how to replace the life insurance i had through work. life insurance? i'd think you'd have other priorities. my priority is making sure you don't get stuck with a lot expenses if something happens to me. mom, there's no reason to think anything is going to happen. a couple of days ago, there was no reason to think i'd lose my job. no one likes to think about it, but you have to be ready for it.

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magnus: field notes, u.s.s.raven, stardate 32634.9: theravenwas hit by a subspace particle storm. we took heavy damage and our multi-adaptive shielding went off-line for 13.2 seconds. unfortunately, it was long enough for the borg to perceive us as a threat. i found something-- a nebula. class? mutara. distance: three light-years. i'm setting a course. the particle density's too high. our hull would breach. we can reinforce structural integrity. we'll find somewhere else to hide. there's no time. it's been three hours and the cube hasn't found us yet. as long as we can keep masking our warp trail... the entire collective knows about us by now. they'll send more ships. the nebula's too dangerous! we've had close calls before.

remember when the transporters failed? and you had to spend the night in a maturation chamber with 52 neonatal drones? (alarm beeping) a transwarp conduit, 2.3 light-years starboard. it's a cube heading right for us. time to intercept? one hour, maybe less. annika: papa? be right there, annika. start looking for an m-class planet. we'll abandon ship if we have to. hey. are we going to be assimilated? not if i can help it. go back to sleep. your mother and i have work to do. are the borg mad at us? no. then why are they chasing our ship? they're curious about us... like we are about them but don't worry.

soon. papa? will it hurt to be a drone? sleep. doctor: captain. hmm? i'd like to suggest a few modifications to the com array. yes? i've studied seven's cranial schematics and i've isolated the frequency of her interplexing beacon. when we catch up with the sphere we might be able to send her a brief message. what if she's already been linked to the hive mind? every drone has its own translink signature. only seven will be able to hear our message.

the hansen diaries-- not exactly light reading. i've been poring over their last log entries for any details we might have missed. i want to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. they should have quit while they were ahead. ten million teraquads of data three years in the wild. they could have studied the borg for another three decades and still have barely scratched the surface. i agree their methods were unorthodox but that's been true of most great explorers. most explorers don't take de. we'll get her back, doctor... with her parents' help. (alarm beeping) captain, i've got a fix on the sphere's location. it's in a region about 200 light-years from here. red alert. bring the multi- adaptive shielding on-line. set a course for those coordinates and prepare to disengage