A Weapon

Author: Don

Captain Riker was staring at the view screen in disbelief. In front of him stood fourteen Borg cube. “Red alert. All hands to battle stations.” Will looked at Deanna. She knew instantly what he was thinking. “Dr. Stamper to the bridge.” Will stated through the COMM.

Two weeks ago Will had received a message from Star Fleet. A group of scientists had been working on a weapon designed specifically to fight the Borg. Dr. Stamper explained in his briefing when he arrived on the Titan. “This not just any standard weapon he explained. It combines to types of technology. An explosive warhead and a new type of material that we have developed. It is called Triniam. Triniam is the hardest substance to date. It can stand direct impact from a quantum torpedo and not receive a scratch.”

“What a minute,” Will was shocked, “You mean you have developed a material that can stand that kind of blast. Why don’t we start using the material to develop a new fleet of ships?”

“The material is still in the experimental phase. We have only been able to develop a small amount. In the beginning it was hoped that we could do just that.”

Dr. Stamper lowered his head. “It takes two years to develop. It would take nearly a century to develop enough to completely build one star ship, however we can produce enough to mass produce this weapon. A device made of this material only two inches long is placed into a quantum torpedo. Once it impacts the surface of the Borg ship the explosive reaction drives the device to the core of the ship. Once there it releases a computer virus that quickly infects the ship shutting down there defenses and letting us blow them to hell in a sense.”

“Once we use it won’t the Borg simply adapt?” Lt. Fairchild asked.

“No actually they won’t.” Stamper stated matter of factly. “The Borg are connected to a central link allowing them to communicate between each other and ship to ship. However we have found that the link from ship to ship does not allow them pass anything between each ship. So as long as the infected ships are destroyed we will never have to worry about them adapting. In essence we can wipe them out if we wanted to.”

“So what are we waiting for exactly?” Will asked. “When do we put these weapons to use? I would think that every star ship in the fleet would be equipped with them by now if they are ready.”

“Star Fleet wants to place these weapons on one ship first. They want to go through a series of tests so to say.” Stamper laid out his plan of how fifteen of the these warheads would be placed on the Titan. If the Titan came into contact with the Borg they were instructed to use the new warheads.”

“With all due respect to you and Star Fleet, Dr. why is only one ship being fitted with these and why was the Titan selected?"

“Well Captain the Titan was selected because you are one of only a handful of senior officers who have engaged the Borg and lived, also your next mission takes you close to Borg space. Star Fleet felt that if you came into contact with the Borg you could use all the help you could get.”

“You mean Star Base 329. I didn’t think that the Borg were in the area. We were told the Star Base was being shut down and the crew relocated.”

“I am afraid that you have not been totally informed. Star Base 329 sent an encrypted message to Star Fleet. The have picked up a Borg ship on long range sensors. It will reach the star base in approx min four days.”

They had been able to reach the star base a few hours ahead of the Borg ship. The beam out was going well when a phase inductor blew in engineering knocking out the whole transport grid.

Will contacted the commander of the star base. “Commander Wallace. We are going to have to complete the evacuation by shuttle. Have all your remaining personal report immediately to the shuttle bays.”

“Will do Captain.” The commander’s voice came back over the intercom.

Just then Lt Commander Fairchild caught the captain off guard. “Captain the Borg ship is dropping out of Warp. They will be in weapons range in two minutes.”

“Red alert. Battle stations. Dr. Stamper to the Bridge.

As Dr. Stamper entered the bridge Will was immediately at his side. “Is this new weapon of yours ready to go?”

“Yes, fifteen configured quantum torpedoes are ready to go.”

“Dr. I need to know exactly how long it is going to take for this virus to work. We both know that a torpedo will not take them out of commission for more than a few seconds and there are still thirty people on that star base that I have no intention of leaving.”

“Dr. Stamper was amazed at the calm that had come over Captain Riker. The process should not take longer than thirty to forty-five seconds. You should then notice a tremendous drop in power. After that one photon torpedo should take care of the rest.”

Will turned to the crew on the bridge. “Mr. Shields arm weapons. Once in range I want you to fire the phasers directly at there shield grid that should draw them away from the station. Once they are a safe distance away I want you to fire the retro fitted torpedo. Mr. Fairchild the torpedo hits I want all sensors on that ship the second the power fails I want you yell now. Shields when that happens fire don’t wait for the command from me we don’t know how long the virus will knock them out and frankly I don’t want to find out.

Fairchild interrupts Will. “Captain the Borg ship will be in range in approx fifteen seconds.”

“Shields as soon as there in range fire. Helm once he has there attention I want you to execute a Picard theta one maneuver. Then come to heading 129 mark 152 and hold there.

As soon as the Titan fires on the Borg ship it moves immediately to intercept the Titan. As soon as the Titan cleared the Picard maneuver Commander Riker ordered Lt. Shields to fire the torpedo.

Will began to issue orders again. “Helm Riker Alpha One. Engage.” Thirty seconds had passed and the Borg ship was still engaging the Titan. “Fairchild is there any change in the power level.”

“No sir! No…….. NOW!!,” Fairchild screamed.

One single photon Torpedo lit the sky as it hit the Borg ship. It was a thing of beauty. The Borg ship lit up the night sky as it was destroyed. The Federation finally had weapon that could be the key to finally defeating the Borg.

Everyone in the ship was in up roar. Will even kissed Deanna something that he had never done on the bridge of the ship. “Maybe we will finally be rid of the Borg he said to his Imzadi.”

Before she could answer Will had turned to Dr. Stamper. “Well done Doctor. Well done. This will be a day that no one will forget. The day we finally fought back and won.”

It had been about a week and a half since the encounter with the Borg. Star Fleet had been very impressed with the report that Will and Dr. Stamper had submitted. However Deanna had a strange feeling that something was going to go very wrong. Call it woman’s intuition or what ever you want. She knew something was going to happen. She had tried to confront Will about it, but he had simply dismissed it. After the evacuating the star base they had headed for the Tacoma Sector were the crew was to be reassigned. They had finally been able to get some long over due shore leave before they headed back to Earth to give star fleet a full debriefing.

While on route back the Titan encountered a distress signal from a colony in the Trilin System. They were under attack from an unknown vessel.

“Helm set in a course to intercept. Red alert, all hands to battle stations. Fairchild I want to know exactly who we are coming up on before we get there.”

As they approached it seemed they saw a Romulan ship cloak and run like hell as the approached. Once they reached the coordinates they could not find a colony or ship in the area. All of a sudden they were a massive shift on the view screen as vessel after vessel began to decloak.

Fourteen Borg vessels stood in front of them. They had been caught completely by surprise. They were being hailed. When the Titan answered the received the standard response, but a message was added. “You will hand over the weapon in which you used to destroy the Borg vessel or you will be destroyed.

“If you make any attempt to fire on this vessel we will be forced to return fire. If you know what kind of weapon we used you know its destructive power. The federation will no longer bow to you. So you have two choices. Leave now and live or stay and be destroyed, because you can be for damn sure that I will not hand over anything to the likes of you.”

For several minutes the Borg remained silent. The view screen suddenly went blank. A flash of light filled the bridge of the Titan blinding everyone. When Will could see again he looked around making sure that everyone was ok. Suddenly he noticed that Deanna had was gone. “Deanna he screamed.” He was looking everywhere. The Borg where hailing again. This time it was Deanna on the screen.

Will was dumbfounded. He couldn’t speak he couldn’t even blink. His beloved Imzadi was there. When she spoke it sent chills through his spine.

“You will provide us with the weapons we seek or this body will die. You have thirty minutes to make your decision. Think carefully we will not hesitate.”

The view screen went blank. “Captain,” Fairchild began, “Captain, are you ok?”

Will did not respond. Commander Tucker grabbed Will by the arm. He snapped out of it.

“Suggestions.” he roared. The bridge was silent. Will knew what he needed to do. There was only one hope for saving Deanna. That was to fire a full spread of the new torpedoes and hope to god they didn’t kill her before they took effect.

“Shields arm the torpedoes.” Will said.

“Sir?” Shields could not believe what he was hearing.

“Now Lt.” Will screamed. “Target all the ships at once. Once the torpedoes have hit helm I want you to begin a benzal roll and come to heading 113.”

With all the strength he could muster, Will gave the order. “Fire.”

As soon as the Titan began the roll the Borg vessels began to fire. The Titan was taking heavy damage, but it was holding together. As soon as Fairchild gave the order that the ships where down Will gave the order for all ships to be destroyed except one.

“Fairchild, Shields with me now.” Will ordered. As they walked to the turbo lift the first officer began to speak and with a wave of his hand Will silenced him. No one was going to that ship with out him. Once over the began the search for Deanna. Fairchild found her laying on top of another Borg. Will ran to her holding her in his arms he gave the order to be beamed directly to sick bay. Once energized the Doctor can running over. Will tapped his comm badge.

“Bridge Target that ship and fire, I don’t want a single piece of it to be left. As the explosion slowly rocked the vessel Will was leaning over Deanna. Tell her how much he loved her. Deanna suddenly screamed in pain. She began to convulse, then suddenly stopped moving. Alarms started to go off all around them. There was no heart beat no pulse. Deanna was dead. Will began to shake in disbelief. He suddenly began to scream.

Someone was shaking him trying to get his attention. He didn’t care though she was gone. His Imzadi was dead. What else could matter. What else could there be. When Will finally came to his senses he began to look around. He was no longer in sick bay. He was in his room it was Deanna shaking him. Screaming his name, Will could no longer control it. He began to weep. He brought her as close to him as he could. It had been a dream, just a dream.

He was weeping, “God, Deanna I never want to lose you, ever. I love you Imzadi. He began to kiss her and hold her. He swore to never let her go. He loved even more.

End