But the Wise Ones would protect her, she told herself. She had served them well. She knew they would not abandon her.

Then the woman was doing something else, pressing another object against her chest and someone else was fastening a small metallic object to her forehead. Behind them, she could still see the one called Picard, watching intently as he directed the efforts to kill her.

Her heart faltered again, skipping a beat and another, and the edges of her vision began to draw in, and she couldn't tell if her heart was still beating or not, if she was breathing or not. Suddenly she realized the Wise Ones could not-or would not-protect her after all, not from these creatures from another universe. But at the same time a voice spoke in her mind, a voice she recognized though she hadn't heard it in years.

You have done me honor, my daughter, it said. I would give anything to serve as you have served.

The pain was gone, banished by her mother's presence, by the words she had feared she would never hear.

Her last thought as both vision and consciousness faded was one of gratefulness for the fact that her mother had been allowed to know of the service she had been privileged to give.

She had failed!

The Picard creature still lived, its terrifying features looming over her almost the way they had in the nightmarish pseudo-memories of her own death. For a moment it seemed to be looking through the Balitor creature's eyes, through the Link directly to the Queen herself, warning her of what was still to come.

Spasmodically, before the Picard creature's mind could reach through and take her own in its mental grip, she terminated the Link.

And triggered the command she had long ago provided for, the mental command she had believed, until that moment, would never need to be given.

She waited as it was wordlessly transmitted, as it touched countless minds all over the quadrant, bringing briefly to life the message that had lain buried there for much of their lives.

One by one, she felt those minds lapse into unconsciousness and then death. Like Balitor, they had all done the jobs they had been conditioned to do, but now, suddenly, each one had become a potential danger, the magnitude of which she was no longer able to rationally estimate. Pure rationality, which she had until now adhered to in her every decision, was no longer possible, not as long as the Picard creature continued to exist.

When the process was complete, when all the creatures that had served her were dead, she did what she now knew she should have done when she first became aware of the Picard creature's presence in this era.

She took direct control of the Borg vessel nearest to the Picard creature's ship. With far less effort than had been required to take over Balitor, she insinuated herself into every aspect of the vessel until it literally became a part of her, much the way the cybernetic bodies that she routinely donned became a part of her.

Dr. Beverly Crusher stepped back from the biobed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "She's gone, Captain. I don't understand why, but she's gone."

"The phasers- "

The doctor shook her head. "They don't cause lasting physical damage even at heavy stun. In any event, all readings indicate virtually no physical damage at any level. I'm not familiar with Narisian physiology, of course, but everything in her body appears fully functional. It just isn't functioning. It's as if something in her mind simply overrode the body's autonomic system and shut down her entire nervous system. Even neural stimulators had no effect."

"Could there be a symbiosis of some kind?" Picard asked. "Narisian and Borg?"

Crusher shook her head. "I doubt it. She was obviously not a drone."

"Not the kind of drone we're used to, but perhaps in this universe..." He turned to Troi and Riker, who had just entered sickbay. "You heard?"

"A poison pill, Borg variety," Riker said as Troi nodded her silent agreement. "Something in her mind. She was found out, so she had to die. The b.a.s.t.a.r.ds couldn't allow her to survive and spill their secrets."

Picard was silent a moment, looking down at the body, knowing that his first officer was right. One more victim of the Borg, one among the billions.

Straightening, he nodded tersely to Riker and Troi as he tapped his combadge and headed for the nearest turbolift. "Mr. Data, we're on our way to the bridge. Locate Guinan and- "

"I'm here, Captain," Guinan's voice a.s.sured him. "At least I think I am."

"I'd appreciate it if you could decide for certain, Guinan. Data," he continued as the turbolift doors slid open, "reestablish contact with the Wisdom and Arbiter Sarek."

The Vulcan's unreadable face greeted them on the main viewscreen as they emerged onto the bridge. Picard ignored the questioning looks directed at him by Scott and Kirk, who had reluctantly remained on the bridge throughout the incident.

"What is it, Picard?" Sarek asked. "Your android did not- "

"The Narisian Balitor is dead," Picard said as he strode to the captain's chair, flanked by his first officer and counselor. Briskly and concisely, he summarized the events that had led up to the death. As he did so, Worf entered the bridge, having left the security of the transporter to Porfirio and Houarner.

"The other Narisian is dead as well," Sarek said when Picard finished. "I have also just now received word that the same is happening to the Narisians attached to Alliance Prime."

A sick feeling clutched at Picard's stomach at the thought that his actions were what had somehow triggered not only Balitor's death but that of these others-and who knew how many more throughout the Alliance-as well. Spies or not, the Narisians were victims of the Borg as much as any of the members of the thousands of fully a.s.similated races across the galaxy.

"Only Narisians?" Picard asked.

"Those are the only ones reported so far." Sarek spoke emotionlessly.

"Can someone familiar with Narisian physiology determine precisely what caused the deaths? We have so far been unable to find any cause for Balitor's death."

"I have already ordered a thorough examination of the other Narisian. Transport Balitor's body to the Wisdom and we will examine it as well."

"I don't want to stick my nose in your business, Picard," Kirk said, "but isn't it more important to find out why she tried to kill you than how she died?"

"Obviously the Borg were controlling her," Picard said.

"As you say, that's obvious. The real question is, what set them off? Why did they suddenly decide to kill you, particularly in such an inefficient way? And what can you do if they try again, maybe with a little more efficiency?"

"He's right, Captain," Riker said quietly. "And unless- "

"Captain," Data broke in, "the chronometric radiation is decreasing rapidly. It has dropped fifty percent in the past thirty seconds."

Automatically, Picard darted a look at Guinan as the level of chronometric radiation continued to drop. "It isn't me this time, Captain," she said, all traces of her usual cryptic smile gone.

"Sarek?"

"To the best of my knowledge, Picard, we have done nothing that could logically result in such a decrease."

"Hail the D'Zidran, Mr. Worf," Picard snapped. "Perhaps Guinan's local counterpart has some ideas."

"No response, sir," Worf announced moments later.

"Chronometric radiation has leveled off at twenty-two-point-seven percent of the previous level, Captain," Data said.

A sinking feeling gripped Picard. "The timeline is stabilizing?"

"That is what theory suggests, Captain," Data responded, his fingers continuing to dart across the control panel as he spoke. "However, I would point out that, even after this decrease, the radiation level is still more than five times what one would expect to find in a stable timeline."

"Keep trying to reach the D'Zidran, Mr. Worf. Meanwhile, I'm open to any and all ideas." He glanced briefly at Kirk before going on. "Captain Kirk was right when he said our immediate concern should be why the Borg have decided to come after me, and what measures we can take if they do try again. Sarek, you're more familiar than any of us with these particular Borg. Do you- "

"Captain," Data broke in, "one of the Borg cubes following the Vortex has broken away. It is now on an intercept course with the Enterprise. And we are being scanned."

A chill washed over Picard. Vivid images of the warren-like interiors of other Borg ships, swarming with thousands upon thousands of grotesque cybernetic zombies, threatened to push everything else out of his mind.

"It appears," he said after a moment, "that at least one of our questions has been answered. They are going to try again."

Twenty-Two.

"PICARD," Sarek said abruptly, "attempting to flee will be futile. Additionally, there is as yet no firm indication that the Borg ship means you harm. Except during a.s.similation of a world, no Borg ship has ever attacked an Alliance ship unless that Alliance ship attacked the Borg ship first."

Without waiting for an acknowledgment, Sarek cut the connection to the Enterprise and stood up from Varkan's command chair.

"Do not move from our current position without my direct authorization, Commander Varkan," he said. "Do not follow the Enterprise if it unwisely attempts to flee the Borg ship. Do not respond to their hails. There is much I must consider. I will be in my quarters."

Turning from an uneasy and puzzled Varkan, Sarek strode from the bridge. Less than a minute later he was seated before the viewscreen and control panel in his quarters. The screen still showed the unmoving image of the Enterprise.

At least they appeared to be heeding his warning and were not making a vain attempt to flee. Any such attempt would only make the situation even more perilous than it already was. And there was a chance, no matter how small, that the Borg ship would not attack despite the fact that the Enterprise-and the Wisdom, he now noted-were being scanned. The Borg had finally "noticed" them both.

The question was: Why?

Obviously, something fundamental had changed in the last few hours. The most disturbing possibility was that Picard's claimed link with the Borg had been a two-way affair. When Picard had learned of the existence of the spies, perhaps the Borg had learned of something in return, perhaps even Picard's intent to "restore" the timeline to what he considered Borg-free normalcy. Was that why one of their spies had tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate him?

And were the Borg themselves now coming to do what their Narisian surrogate had failed to do? Logic told him it was a virtual certainty, despite what he had told Picard. The only sliver of doubt came from the fact that the Borg could have sent a ship to make the first attempt. Instead, they had sent one of their spies, a most illogical action if the Borg's only purpose was to kill Picard and/or destroy the Enterprise.

He watched as the Borg cube drew nearer. It would be within weapons range in less than ten minutes. He wished he could have told Picard the complete truth, but he had not dared, not as long as there was the slightest possibility that Picard's link with the Borg was a two-way street.

He considered the logic of the decision he needed to make before those ten minutes were up. Should he destroy the Borg ship if it became certain that it would otherwise destroy the Enterprise? And the Wisdom?

Normally he wouldn't hesitate to accept the loss of a single ship, even one which he himself was aboard, if the only alternative was to prematurely reveal the weapon that was their only hope to eventually destroy all the Borg vessels. But the Enterprise, if Kirk and Scott's story of the so-called Guardian could be believed, provided a chance to do something far better than simply destroy the Borg fleet. They could, if successful, restore the "original" timeline and, in effect, destroy the Borg before they ever came to Alpha Quadrant, not at some nebulous future date that might never come. And if they were able to do that, they would not only eliminate the Borg from the Alpha Quadrant but restore to meaningful life all those billions the Borg had a.s.similated and turned into drones in the last two or more centuries. And give those same billions two centuries of time to prepare for when the Borg did cross into the Alpha Quadrant.

If...

For just an instant, Sarek's "dreams" of that other universe flashed through his mind more vividly than ever before. It was obviously a universe infinitely preferable to the one that existed around him now.

And it was a universe that he would almost certainly be consigning to oblivion if, in the next few minutes, he allowed the Enterprise to be destroyed.

With implacable logic, he made his decision.

Kirk could no longer hold it in. For what seemed like an eternity, he had stood by silently while the Borg cube bore down on them, growing ever larger in the viewscreen.

"Picard," he said, leaning close, his voice less than a whisper but knife-sharp, "I need to talk to you. Privately."

Picard scowled briefly but nodded. "You have the bridge, Number One."

Seconds later the captains of two different Enterprises entered the ready room.

"I don't mean to step on another commander's toes," Kirk said the moment the door hissed shut behind them, "but don't you think it's about time to do something?"

"You heard Sarek as well as I."

"I did. And I trust him-have trusted him-with my life. But what I heard him say was that, unless you count what the Borg do when they're taking over a planet, they've never made an unprovoked attack on any Alliance ship. Yet! And that if we're lucky as h.e.l.l, they won't start now, despite the fact that they're already scanning us, which-correct me if I'm wrong-is also something they've never done before."

Picard nodded grimly. "I am well aware of that."

"And I a.s.sume that sending a spy to try to a.s.sa.s.sinate you isn't something they do every day, either. A couple things strike me as being pretty obvious. First, the Borg have departed from their usual routine. And second, they're out to get you."

"What would you have me do, Captain?"

"For a start, how about doing whatever it was you did when you 'intercepted' whatever it was that told you the Borg had infiltrated the Wisdom. Intercept something that tells you why the devil they're suddenly on a collision course with us."

"Believe me, I've tried. I'm still trying, but the chance of success is remote."

Kirk grimaced. "All right, then, Plan B: Get us the h.e.l.l out of here as fast as possible."

Picard shook his head. "Sarek was right. Trying to run would be futile. The Borg ship is already moving faster than the Enterprise could, even for an instant, even if Commander La Forge tuned every system in our warp drive to perfection and diverted every joule of energy from shields and life support. They would overtake us in minutes."

"Even so, it's better than sitting here doing nothing!"

"I am well aware of your reputation, Captain," Picard said sharply, "and it is my considered judgment that Sarek was right. Unlike you, I am quite familiar with the Borg in my own time, and my experience tells me that, slim as it is, our only chance for survival is to follow Sarek's advice."

Kirk pulled in a deep breath that did nothing to calm him. "All right," he said. "Maybe you can't outrun them, but what about just evading them? They may be fast, but something that size has to have a pretty lousy turning circle. Can't the Enterprise at least outmaneuver them?"

"Perhaps, but only for a short while."

"How long? Long enough to get within transporter range of the so-called Vortex?"

Picard frowned. "Possible but not likely."

"Then let's do it, before it goes from unlikely to totally impossible."

"To what purpose?"

"Isn't it obvious, Picard? Beam me back in there, into the Vortex."

"You're willing to sacrifice yourself without being certain it will accomplish anything? You said you wanted to establish the facts before you- "

"That would be preferable, I'll admit, but how do we establish them? I'm wide open for ideas."

"The Guardian- "

"Forget the Guardian. We can't get there unless we can outrun the Borg, which you say is impossible. And even if we could, there's no guarantee it would help us. The very best we can hope for is to be able to outmaneuver that cube out there for a few minutes, which may be long enough to beam me into the Vortex. In any event, given the circ.u.mstances, I don't see how letting you beam me into the Vortex is that much of a sacrifice on my part. Either we all get fried by that thing out there and accomplish nothing or I get fried by the Vortex and maybe save the Enterprise, not to mention Earth and a few other worlds. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing."

"If that were truly the choice, of course, but- "

"Come on, Picard, we're wasting time," Kirk said, brushing past him toward the ready room door. "That cube will be all over us in a few minutes, and then we won't have any choice at all."

His DNA and neural scans completed and his ident.i.ty verified by the computer-controlled neurobiosensor he had attached loosely to his forehead, Sarek carefully entered the code that only he and four of his most trusted advisors-Vulcans all-knew. The Enterprise and the starfield behind it vanished from the viewscreen before him but not from the one on the Wisdom's bridge. There, the viewscreen would continue to operate normally under the control of the bridge crew, totally unaware of Sarek's activities.