The Hijinx and several other Federation starships watch as the giant alien vessel parked in Saturn's rings, transforms and energizes them beyond approachable limits.
Bo: "Is it just me, or are they converting the entire planet into some kind of massive energy efficient quantum fissure?"
Jolene: "It's going to be more like a gaping hole. Their experiment is going to destabilize the entire Solar system in ways we can't even imagine."
Lane: "It's obvious these aliens don't have any regard for other species."
Jolene: "Captain, I know exactly how we can counter their transformation. We need to flood the dispersal area with subspace field pulses. Pelthron radiation was once tested to be diffused that way."
Reynolds: "Yes, but the amount would have to be enormous to match the source?"
Jolene: "We can simulate a large amount if we get in close and condense the flood. I'm talking 100 meters."
Lane: "That's madness! We'll never survive the gravimetric forces."
Andrea: "We'd last longer than a shuttle. In fact, we'd out-last any of the other starship's here due to our class specifications."
Reynolds: "So, let me get this straight; what we're actually talking about here is dying?"
Jolene: "I suppose so, Commander. But I estimate we only have a few more minutes before those pulses are past the ability to diffuse the radiation."
Bo: "Considering what's at stake here, I suppose death is the only way to go."
Lane: "Are you guys listening to yourselves? It's like death has no meaning for you??"
Andrea: "On the contrary. This would be a noble act. Besides, we all knew the risks when we joined Starfleet."
Reynolds: "Andrea's correct. It's not what I had in mind when I got out of bed this morning, but it's the right thing to do."
Lane: "Oh, great. So it's just me that has a problem with this? Fine; if you're all so keen on dying. Let's do it then."
Bo: "Looks like you won't be needing that promotion after-all, Commander."
Reynolds: "Likely not. Our ship is just a tiny piece in the much larger puzzle of human existence. Let's make us fit. --Jolene, Andrea, prepare the deflector. Bo, take us inside."
The Hijinx departs the crowd of other Federation starships, without warning, and speeds into the convergence area. Ignoring hails, it fires into the transformation zone, causing a neutralizing effect that spreads slowly throughout Saturn's rings.
A large energy erupts from Saturn's rings, temporarily transforming them into quantum flux. The Hijinx suddenly becomes engulfed with both the gravimetric forces and the quantum fluctuations, while the alien egg-shaped vessel is too far out and is only met with the former.
The Hijinx then disappears and the alien ship crumbles and explodes under pressure.
Moments later, the Hijinx re-appears in a separate quantum universe, outside Saturn. Jolene begins scanning.
Bo: "So, death is being with all of you guys? Not sure I like that."
Jolene: "Negative. I believe the energy flux sent us into a parallel dimension."
Andrea: "We were doused with a wave of quantum fluctuation. It's possible our quantum signatures are not consistent with the resonance of matter in this universe."
Lane: "Well, great. I finally was ready to die, and here we are. I've got to tell you, this is the weirdest sense of not-getting-what-you-expected ever."
Bo: "Yeah, it just seems wrong."
Lane: "You know else seems that way? There are no Federation communication relays in this system. In fact, I don't see any signs of the Federation at all, except for some debris where Jupiter Station and Earth Spacedock would be."
Suddenly, sensors ring off as a Borg cube drops out of transwarp and locks onto the Hijinx with tractor beams.
#Borg: "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
Lane: "No kidding. There are Borg vessels throughout the entire sector!"
Andrea: "Am I hearing you right? This universe is a Borg-infested universe??"
Lane: "For as far as long range sensors can detect at least. Maybe we did land a fatal blow to our lives; just not the one we were expecting?"
Reynolds: "Lane, fire a quantum torpedo onto their tractor emitters. Continue with photon torpedoes and phasers, and reload all ammunition."
The Hijinx fires at the cube, knocking out a tractor beam, but another one just locks on. Return fire knocks out their forward shields and Borg drones start beaming into all areas of the Hijinx. In no time, the crew is assimilated and transported off the ship before its self-destruct.
---
Ten years later, Commander Reynolds, a Human and Borg drone, is awoken from her connection to the hive mind in an outside alcove on an Earth street in San Francisco. She is helped out by a Trill in uniform.
Seifer: "Whoa, take it easy. Everything's going to be okay."
Reynolds, out of it: "The voices... I can't hear the voices..."
Seifer: "I'm Captain Seifer of the starship Phoenix-X. We're here to take you home."
Along the side of the building, more alcoves and more drones are separated from their connections. Several of the Phoenix-X's crew begin slapping each drone with transporter tags.
After rematerialization, Reynolds finds her and a group of people she thought she recognized in a Starfleet starship cargo bay. The Prometheus-class Phoenix-X turns and jumps to warp.
Everyone comes-to as Seifer and Kugo enter the cargo bay.
Seifer: "We apologize for the hasty disconnect, but that's the nature of the virus we used to separate you. You may also have a tough time with memories of your assimilation. For reference, it's Stardate 67147.5."
Reynolds: "Thank you, Captain. We've been gone a long time."
Andrea: "Commander Reynolds? Are we.... dead...?"
Reynolds: "Back from the dead, would be more precise."
Seifer: "We monitor Borg cube movements and today fielded only one cube in the whole sector. My crew and I target drones who look to have been military before their assimilation-- albeit, such a distinction isn't easy, but it comes with practice."
Kugo: "It's normal for drones from the same source to work out of the same unit, due to their similar brain patterns."
Reynolds: "You must be made aware, that we are not from this quantum universe. We were brought here by accident when an alien species altered the quantum state of the rings of Saturn. That was a decade ago."
Seifer: "I'm sorry to hear that. If you ever wondered what hell was like, then welcome to it."
Lane: "Thank you?"
Seifer: "Use these alcoves to regenerate. Doctor Lox and his team will work with you in removing your implants over the next couple of days. We're going to need your help."
Bo: "This universe is beyond aid."
Seifer: "Maybe. But we're all it's got. Luckily, for it, Starfleet is still around."
