Preparation

Shaka pulled her phaser from its holster as she peered around the corner. Rolling into the corridor, she lay on her stomach, aiming her phaser at the figure in front of her. "Lieutenant! Hold your fire," the voice said. Shaka, however, heard something strange in his voice. "Who's there?"

"It's Commander Benson, from science," the voice said.

Shaka fired her phaser and nailed him on the chest. When she got him to speak again, she was able to confirm hearing the slightly mechanical tint to his voice. Crawling on hands and knees to examine him, she saw where Borg circuitry was growing from his skin.

"Lower your weapon," a voice said from behind her. Shaka turned around to see the red light from a Borg drone. "Andorian. Species 6394. Enhanced hearing and tolerance to pain would make an excellent assimilation drone."

"I'm already a drone," she said, "for one mindless organization." Shaka pressed the button on the phaser, but the phaser had no effect.

"Lower your weapon," the drone repeated.

"Fine," Shaka said. She lowered the weapon and backed off from it. The drone approached her. As it stepped over the phaser, however, it exploded; parts from the drone flew in every direction.

"Ha. That'll teach you to..."

Shaka was cut off in mid-sentence by a sharp piercing in her neck. Looking down, she saw assimilation tendrils sticking into her. She kicked and screamed in pain.

The holograms disappeared, leaving Shaka in the middle of the holodeck.

"Computer, why didn't I hear that Borg coming behind me?" Shaka asked.

<This simulation was designed to adapt to equal the abilities of the user,> The computer replied.

[Lieutenant Shaka? What are you up to?] Devore asked over the intercom.

"I'm practising," Shaka grumbled, somewhat annoyed by the interruption. "Ninety-two percent of ships that encounter the Borg are boarded. I did pretty bad the first couple times, but I finally got one."

[Don't let them get you,] Devore said. [You're one of a handful of carriers of some of the most useful information the Federation has. If they get the information about the slipstream drive, they may use it against us. That brings up another thing. I want you to run a last minute check on the slipstream drive. Make sure all the electrons are spinning in the right directions.]

"They usually are, but I'll replace any that aren't," Shaka said. "Shaka out."

"Computer, how much longer until we reach the neutral zone?"

<Fourty-four minutes,> the computer responded. *I've been down here for about half an hour. What a workout,* Shaka sighed. "Computer, end program."

Location : Engineering

Shaka was practising some moves on her own as she walked down the hall. She heard a lot of good things about a Terran form of self-defense called 'karate.' She would have preferred to learn the Andorian equivalent, 'fehqu,' but she couldn't find any decent holographic instructors.

As she walked around a corner, a hand grabbed one of her moving hands and twisted it to behind Shaka's back. She didn't even bother resisting; her knowledge was limited to the two lessons she took on the holodeck.

"Practising, Lieutenant?" Hansen asked.

"I was never very good at the self-defense courses at the Academy. Let me go, I need to check the slipstream drive."

Hansen obliged, and Shaka went on her way. She began a level four diagnostic, inputting information into the computer when necessary. When she finished, she called up to the bridge.

"Shaka to bridge," she said, tapping her communicator. "Everything's running perfectly down here."

[The way you baby that slipstream drive, it's no wonder,] Devore responded.

Shaka hadn't quite learned to tell Devore's biting sarcasm from his friendly sarcasm, which would almost be a compliment from an Andorian, although she'd never tell him. "Ha, ha, ha," Shaka responded, equally sarcastic. "I'm coming up to the Bridge to keep my seat warm.