Dark Frontier ( episode ) When Captain Janeway devises a plan to steal a transwarp coil from a damaged Borg sphere , the mysterious Borg Queen learns of the plan and uses this knowledge in an attempt to return Seven of Nine to the Borg by issuing her an ultimatum : rejoin the Collective or watch as " Voyager " is assimilated . Summary . Teaser . 2375 A vessel has been detected by the Borg Collective and drones are activated aboard one of its ships . The drones are instructed to alter course to intercept the vessel . Inside a Borg ship drones immediately move from their alcove s and carry out the instructions . The Collective identifies the vessel : Federation Starfleet ; ; 143 lifeform s . The drones are instructed to prepare for assimilation of the vessel . The target vessel is the . The Collective states its usual hail : " " We are the Borg . You will be assimilated . Resistance is futile " " . The image of " Voyager " is replaced by one of " Voyager " s bridge . Captain Kathryn Janeway stands with Commander Chakotay at her side . Behind them , at the auxiliary tactical console is Seven of Nine whom Janeway has asked to be present for her tactical expertise . She replies with a warning to the Collective to break off pursuit or " Voyager " will open fire . The Collective dismisses Janeway ' s threat and repeats that it is intent on assimilating " Voyager " , they cut off communication . The Borg vessel closes on " Voyager " but it is neither a cube nor a sphere ; instead , it is a probe . The two ships exchange fire . Aboard the probe , there are explosions as the deflector shield s are disabled . The Collective instructs that they be regenerated and the weapons re - modulated when , suddenly , a Starfleet photon torpedo is transported into the vessel . A drone moves to disable it but as the drone is about to begin dismantling the torpedo it detonates , destroying the probe and all drones aboard . On " Voyager " s bridge , Janeway and Chakotay watch the explosion on the viewscreen . Both seem disappointed , Chakotay asks what happened as the goal was to merely disable the probe . Seven of Nine explains that the torpedo detonated near the power matrix , causing a chain reaction in the probe ' s systems . Janeway asks about survivors and Lt . Commander Tuvok reports that there were none . Janeway stares at the viewscreen for a moment then orders Chakotay to begin a salvage operation . The probe could have something they could use , such as weapons or possibly a transwarp coil . This is a key component of Borg supraluminal technology , allowing them to travel at speeds far greater than their standard warp drive . If they can modify it and their warp engines to work together , thousands of light year s could be put behind them in mere days , taking years off their journey . Act One . Janeway and Chakotay enter Cargo Bay 2 , where the debris from the destroyed probe is being studied . They walk around the debris , inspecting various components . Chakotay informs her that they have salvaged some useful components from the probe : power node s and plasma conduit s . Also , a transwarp coil was found amidst the debris field . They go to see the coil and find Seven of Nine and Lieutenant B ' Elanna Torres examining it . Their report is disappointing as the coil is unusable . Seven explains to her that when a Borg vessel is critically damaged , all of its vital technology , such as its transwarp coils , self - destruct s . But Seven of Nine also has hopeful news from their salvage operation . She shows Janeway and Chakotay two Borg data node s , one of which contains tactical information about the movements of Borg vessels in a thirty light year radius . This is vital information for " Voyager " as they can use it to avoid any further encounters with the Borg for a time . However , the unusable transwarp coil is a great disappointment and Janeway orders Seven to translate the node ' s data so the ship ' s computer can read it . In astrometrics , Seven shows Janeway and Tuvok the translated tactical information . She reports there are three cubes on a course parallel to their own , nine light years distant which pose no threat . But Janeway points out a sphere whose position is not far from them and asks Seven about it . Seven reports that the sphere is damaged from an ion storm and traveling at low warp . Janeway orders Seven to provide her with a detailed schematic of the vessel . Janeway calls a meeting with the senior staff in the briefing room . She describes a plan : they are going to steal a transwarp coil from the damaged sphere . The plan is labeled " Operation Fort Knox " , after the 20th century facility which , all through its existence , defeated all attempts at intrusion . Ensign Tom Paris helps by explaining the reference to the others present . Chief Engineer Torres talks about how useful even one coil would be in drastically shortening their journey time to the Alpha Quadrant . Tuvok asks Janeway if she believes the sphere ' s defenses are low enough for them to do this . Janeway does believe this but she warns that the operation must be planned to the smallest detail . She reminds them that they cannot forget that they are dealing with the Borg . She proceeds to explain the plan in general terms : they will head for the sphere and use a diversion to allow an away team to beam aboard undetected . The away team will then steal the coil and return to " Voyager " with it . Chakotay recommends they create a holodeck simulation of the operation to practice it . Torres recommends they use a few " old Maquis tricks " she knows to mask their warp signature . Janeway agrees to both remarks and ends the meeting to begin preparations . Act Two . After the meeting , Janeway calls Seven into her ready room . She informs her that she has a specific assignment for her relating to the operation . She wants Seven to research the data logs of her parents , Magnus and Erin Hansen , for any information which could give them a greater tactical advantage against the Borg . These logs were retrieved over two years before , among the remains of the Hansens ' ship , the . ( ) Seven of Nine begins to make excuses why the logs should not be consulted . She believes them to be irrelevant and flawed since her parents , despite all the knowledge they had gathered , were caught and assimilated . Janeway surmises , however , that Seven does not want to read them because they chronicle the events leading to her assimilation . But Janeway cannot afford to forgo the potentially invaluable tactical information contained in the logs and tells Seven that she will assign the task to Chakotay if she refuses . Seven informs the captain that , although reluctant , she will read the logs . Seven is in her Cargo Bay 2 quarters , near her alcove , examining one of the Borg data nodes . Neelix enters with a large box full of PADD s . Seven irritably notes his tardiness and Neelix apologizes . He explains that cataloging the logs took much longer than he expected because of the amount of data including field notes , personal logs and bio - kinetic analyses . He sets the box down and quietly muses that she is fortunate to have so huge a reminder of her own parents . All he has left of his own parents is a faded holo - image . As he leaves to prepare the rest of the logs , Seven picks up one of the PADDs and activates it . Annika Hansen is playing with a model of a Borg cube . Magnus Hansen enters . He leads her to a couch , sits with her and explains to her that they will be leaving the next day to study the Borg . Annika is full of questions for her father : Do the Borg have kids ? What do they look like ? Are they friendly ? Her father answers her questions as best he can . Aboard the " Raven " , Magnus and Erin Hansen debate whether or not they should refuel before continuing onward . Magnus does not want to , insisting they are too close and if they stop now , they may as well return home . Erin questions what they would return home to as they have committed numerous felony violations : unauthorized deviation from flight plan , crossing the Romulan Neutral Zone , failure to obey direct orders to return . She expresses that she is of the opinion their colleagues obviously think they have gone insane . Annika enters from her bedroom , complaining that she cannot sleep . The sensor s sound an alarm , detecting massive subspace eddies . Magnus and Erin hurry to the main console and detect a ship their scans reveal that it is a Borg cube . They enter visual range and bring it up on the viewscreen . Magnus , Erin , and Annika stare at the cube as it scans them and their vessel . The cube does not alter course to intercept and instead it moves off . Magnus says that this confirms his theory how the Borg ignore anything living unless they consider it a threat , or a target for assimilation . They follow the cube , remaining well behind it . A hail from the bridge by First Officer Chakotay brings Seven back to the present . She acknowledges Chakotay ' s hail and responds . Coming off the turbolift onto the bridge she sees the the damaged Borg sphere on the viewscreen . Janeway orders Paris to match its course and speed , keeping ten million kilometer s away . Seven is ordered to the auxiliary tactical console to scan the sphere . She reports that its weapons array is regenerating , but its deflector shields and transwarp drive are off - line . However both systems will again be operational in 72 hours . The crew has a window of 72 hours to execute the operation . Janeway orders double shifts and 24 - hour simulation drills for the crew . Act Three . Captain Janeway , Seven of Nine , Tuvok , and Harry Kim quickly walk down a corridor on the Borg sphere , armed with phaser rifle s . Chakotay , on " Voyager " s bridge , counts down from two minutes , keeping them informed of their remaining time . The operation is going well , but Chakotay warns them they are behind schedule . Drones walk around the sphere ignoring them . Janeway and Seven proceed to the transwarp chamber , while Tuvok and Kim go to sphere ' s shield generator . They plant spatial charge s around the generator while Janeway and Seven position transporter pattern enhancer s on the coil . When Kim and Tuvok detonate the charges the coil is transported to " Voyager " . Chakotay confirms they have the transwarp coil and the away team proceeds to the pre - arranged coordinates for beam - off . But their time runs out . Chakotay informs them the two - minute period it takes for the Borg sensor grid to regenerate after being disabled has expired . Aboard the sphere , an alarm sounds as drones immediately stop , face the away team and advance . Tuvok fires and kills two drones coming towards him and Kim . Janeway and Seven are engaged with two other drones , but the Collective quickly adapts to the phaser setting . Janeway turns to go along another route , ordering Seven to follow but she is frozen in place . Janeway calls back to her sharply and Seven of Nine snaps out of it , following her down the corridor . They arrive at the transporter coordinates , where Tuvok and Kim are waiting , and the four of them beam out of the sphere . On " Voyager " s bridge , Paris reports to Chakotay the away team ' s successful return . Suddenly a contingent of drones appears on the bridge . Chakotay orders Paris to beam them off , but he cannot and the drones fan out and begin to advance on them . Chakotay orders the computer to freeze both programs on both holodecks . It was all a simulation . Chakotay demands an explanation from Paris . He replies that the drones must have piggybacked on " Voyager " s transporter beam . Chakotay hails Janeway and informs her that they retrieved the coil , but also some most unwelcome guests . Because the two - minute window before the sphere ' s sensor grid returns online is the maximum amount of time for the away mission , they have to cut their time on the sphere to under two minutes . Beaming into the transwarp chamber directly is considered , but Seven responds that the chamber is too heavily shielded . The away mission looks impossible , but Seven informs them that her parents were able to spend " several hours " at a time on a cube undetected . By consulting their logs , they may be able to explain how the Hansens were able to do this . Janeway orders her to find out and ends the simulation . As Janeway and Seven walk along the corridor outside the holodeck , Janeway asks her about her freeze - up during the simulation stating that she cannot afford such an incident during the operation . Janeway asks Seven if she is able to take part in the away mission . Seven responds that the simulation unsettled her . The last time she was on a Borg vessel , she was a drone . Janeway wonders if she is pushing her too hard and fast , making her face her past by looking at her parents research and now having her on the away team . Seven insists she will be fine . Janeway hopes so , the next time it will not be a simulation , she tells her . Seven acknowledges her statement and walks off . Seven prepares to read another batch of her parents ' logs in her quarters . The doors open and Naomi Wildman , daughter of crewmember Ensign Samantha Wildman , enters . She complains to Seven that she is having nightmares and wants to stay with her , promising not to bother her . Seven agrees but as she continues her work , Naomi begins asking her questions about the Borg : Does it hurt to be a drone ? Do the Borg have kids ? Are they friendly ? Distracted and worn down Seven tersely orders Naomi to return to her quarters . Naomi walks towards her and in a cold , hard voice states " " Resistance is futile . " " A Borg implant emerges and spreads on her cheek . Seven panics as she looks around her quarters and sees Borg drones stepping out of the shadows . She frantically hails security , but receives no answer . Instead , she hears an ageless , disembodied , female voice state " " They can ' t hear you . " " Seven demands to know the voice ' s identity . " " I am the Borg , " " it responds . The voice calls her by her full Borg designation : Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 , stating that she has become weak . Seven frantically tells herself that this is a dream that she is regenerating . The voice assures her that she is not in a dream . It explains how the Borg have accessed Seven ' s neural transceiver . The voice tells her that they know about " Voyager " s plan to invade the sphere stating that it will fail . Seven demands to know why the crew hasn ' t been assimilated if the Borg believe the plan to fail . The voice states that they have contacted her to make an offer : " " Rejoin the Collective and we ' ll spare " Voyager " . " " Seven is confused by this statement , as the only thing that set her apart from other drones was that she happened to have been chosen by the Collective to speak for the Borg during the events which had led to her de - assimilation . The Collective could easily have chosen any drone aboard that cube . ( ) Seven asks why any effort would be taken to retake her when the Borg has since then assimilated thousands of new drones . The voice responds that they wish her to rejoin the Collective because Seven is " unique . " The voice and drones vanish . The cargo bay is normal again and Seven is alone . Three months after first encountering the Borg cube , the Hansens have followed it through a transwarp corridor it created , arriving behind it in the Delta Quadrant , the region of origin of the Borg . Magnus Hansen is aboard the cube , wearing a bio - dampener to remain undetected . The " Raven " itself is outfitted with multi - adaptive shield ing to mask it from Borg sensors . Both technologies have worked magnificently , allowing them to follow Borg vessels and beam on and off them without detection . Act Four . Magnus reports back to Erin ( who sits at the controls with Annika on her lap ) that he is observing a badly - damaged drone , which the Hansens have dubbed " Junior " as it goes to an alcove to regenerate intending to repairing itself . However two other drones , which they have dubbed " Bill " and " Needle Fingers , " arrive , deactivate the damaged drone and begin dismantling it . On the " Raven " , an alarm notifies Erin that Magnus ' bio - dampener is almost out of power . She updates him , but he responds that he can stay on board for another minute . Seven shows the designs for the bio - dampeners to Tuvok and The Doctor in sickbay . She found the designs in her parents ' logs and explains how these devices should solve the timing problem . Tuvok instructs The Doctor to manufacture four of them , one for each away team member . After Tuvok leaves , The Doctor compliments the Hansens on their ingenuity . Seven responds that the Hansens were efficient . Thinking that she is warming up to them , he happily cites this as an important stage in her social development , and encourages her to think of it as an exploration of how she was raised , an important part of her Humanity . Seven angrily replies that her parents underestimated the Borg . She states that because of their arrogance she was forced to be raised as a Borg drone . She storms out of sickbay and goes into a corner , struggling to regain control of herself . The away mission will begin at 0600 the next morning . But Janeway has made a change in the away team composition . She calls Seven into her ready room , and tells her that she has decided to replace her on the away team with Torres . She explains that if the sphere attacks , she will need someone with Borg expertise at tactical . Seven insists that she must be on the away team . She gives the excuse that they may encounter unexpected problems that only she can overcome . Janeway takes offense to the comment , thinking that Seven simply considers them not up to that task . However , Janeway realizes that Seven is not being arrogant , only fearful of the success of the mission . Seven fervently tells her that , in the time she has been on " Voyager " , the crew has become her Collective . Their survival is important to her . She would do anything to prevent harm from coming to them . . . anything . She pleads with Janeway to be put back on the away team . Janeway reconsiders and places Seven back on the away team , telling her that she is very pleased with the remarkable progress she has made as an individual and a crewmember . Act Five . The Borg Collective detects a vessel and activates the drones manning the damaged sphere . They alter the sphere ' s course to intercept . The vessel is identified as a Federation Class 2 shuttle craft with three lifeforms aboard . The Collective does not instruct the drones to prepare for assimilation . The sphere resumes course . On " Voyager " s bridge , Torres reports this to Chakotay . The shuttle is the diversion part of the plan ; when the sphere drops its shields to take it in to assimilate it , the away team beams aboard . But the Borg are not taking the bait . Chakotay informs Janeway , waiting in one of the transporter rooms on the platform with the other team members , Seven included . Ensign Kim suggests having the shuttle fire a phaser shot at the sphere , but Seven responds that that would not work ; they would simply destroy the shuttle as a perceived threat . Janeway gets an idea . She orders Chakotay to have the energy output of the shuttle ' s warp signature increased . He does so . With the increased warp signature , the Collective instructs the drones to prepare for assimilation . On " Voyager " s bridge , Ensign Paris reports that the sphere has locked a tractor beam on the shuttle and is taking it in . The sphere ' s shields drop and the away team beams aboard , wearing the bio - dampeners The Doctor produced . They begin their separate operations of the away mission . Seven immediately stops and has a vivid vision of herself when she was a drone . She hears the voice she heard in the cargo bay . " " Never forget who you are , " " it tells her . Janeway , worried , touches her shoulder and asks if she is alright . She shakes herself out of it and follows her to the transwarp coil chamber . Tuvok and Ensign Kim place the spatial charges on the shield generator as practiced . Janeway and Seven plant the transporter pattern enhancers on the coil . Tuvok and Kim blow the generator and the coil is beamed off the sphere . Janeway and Seven quickly move toward the away team ' s beam - out coordinates . Moving through the sphere towards the coordinates , Seven halts again . The disembodied female voice again beckons her to rejoin the Collective in order to spare " Voyager " . Janeway , realizing she is not behind her , turns and sees her standing , looking at her . Annoyed , she orders Seven to keep moving . Seven responds that she will not follow Janeway and wishes to return to the Collective . Janeway firmly tells Seven she cannot let her do that . Seven responds that Janeway has no choice . Janeway aims her rifle at her , preparing to stun her and take her back to " Voyager " , to remain under guard in the sickbay or the brig until she regains her senses . She again orders her to keep moving . A force field appears between them , and two drones come up behind Seven . Seven pleads with Janeway to leave her . Chakotay hails and informs Janeway that the sphere is moving to intercept " Voyager " and that the away team must beam out in order that the ship is not assimilated . But Janeway does not move . She tells Seven she will not leave without her . Seven responds by telling her that if she does not leave , she will be assimilated . Janeway gazes at her for a moment then turns and runs towards the beam - out point . The rest of the away team arrives at the coordinates , and Janeway hails Chakotay : three to beam out . Chakotay questions the number but Janeway orders him to energize . Once they are back on " Voyager " , Chakotay asks where Seven is and Janeway angrily replies that she had a change of heart . She orders a situation report and he responds that the sphere is altering course away from them . Torres reports that its transwarp drive is powering up . Janeway , even though she knows it is hopeless , orders Paris to follow it . In a glow of green , the sphere accelerates to transwarp and races away in the blink of an eye . Seven is led by two drones through the corridors of the sphere . The sphere itself drops from transwarp into an incredible sight : an immense Borg complex . Structures interconnect with each other in a web so huge that it seems to take up an entire sector . The sphere moves toward a hatch on one of the main structures . The hatch opens and the sphere disappears inside . As Seven and her drone " guards " enter through a spearhead - shaped door they stand in a large room with a wide , slight raised platform situated in the middle . Above the platform , a head and its upper torso descend on a lift from above . The head appears to be that of a humanoid female alien . Descending , the head smiles a little . As the head and upper torso approach the floor , a disassembled black mechanical body , composed of the rest of the torso and limbs rises from the floor . After the two parts of the Borg are attached , the body slowly walks up to Seven . Seven stares at the Borg as it descends from the platform . She realizes that this is the origin of the disembodied voice she had heard . Her parents had a name for this type of Borg . The Borg Queen . " " Welcome home , " " the Queen tells her . Act Six . The Borg Queen walks slowly around Seven , appraising her new appearance , noting how the individuals on " Voyager " have " remade her into their image " by removing her Borg features and giving her back hair and clothing . Seven sarcastically responds that she expected re - assimilation , not conversation . The Queen notes her sense of humor and comments that the last two years must have been remarkable for her . She repeats what she told her in " Voyager " s cargo bay : she is unique . Seven wonders aloud that her experiences on board " Voyager " are why the Collective wanted her back , to " add to their perfection . " The Queen responds that this was Seven of Nine ' s mission all along . The Borg purposefully let " Voyager " s crew take Seven . Surprised , Seven demands that the Queen explain herself , but she receives no answer . The Queen instead offers her a chance to regenerate in an alcove that has been adapted for her . She lets Seven know that after her regeneration they will speak further on her capture . Aboard " Voyager " , in Cargo Bay 2 , crewmen clear away the debris from the Borg probe . The debris was stripped of useful components and they will melt the components so that the polytrinic alloy s can be extracted . As Janeway and Chakotay supervise the cleanup , she expresses her frustration at trying to understand Seven ' s actions . She cannot understand why she chose to rejoin the Collective now . Chakotay theorizes that Seven had been planning this all along , he reminds her that Seven threatened to betray Janeway after they had first severed her from the hive mind two years earlier . ( ) Janeway doesn ' t believe him and tells him that Seven had come to see " Voyager " as her Collective . Neelix , who is helping with the clean - up , comes up to them and asks Janeway what to do with Seven ' s alcove . With her gone , logically the alcove , which uses a lot of power , has no function and should be shut down . Janeway tells him no and he goes back to work . In her ready room , Janeway sits at her desktop monitor , reviewing sensor logs from the day before their operation to steal the transwarp coil from the damaged sphere . She has a hunch that the Borg somehow influenced Seven to rejoin them and believes the logs have evidence of that . As she works , Tuvok arrives and explains that " a member of the crew " has requested an appointment with her . Janeway is about to refuse due to being so busy , but then sees Naomi Wildman peeking out from behind Tuvok and relents , allowing her in . Naomi has come to see her with a plan she has designed to find Seven . Janeway looks at it and tells her that it would not work but she commends Naomi for her initiative . Before Naomi leaves , she asks Janeway if they ' re going to rescue Seven , and Janeway assures her that a good captain never abandons a member of the crew ; they ' re not giving up on Seven . The computer then beeps letting Janeway know that it has finished analyzing the sensor logs and has found an anomaly . Janeway and Naomi look at the monitor as it shows that Borg communication signals were directed towards Cargo Bay 2 . In the Borg Unicomplex , Seven awakens from regeneration to find her vision has returned to that of the Borg . The Borg Queen informs her that her brain ' s sight - controlling region has been re - enhanced with Borg technology with the addition of a neural processing adjunct . Seven fearfully and angrily demands its removal . The Queen responds that Seven prefers to remain small but Seven replies that she prefers to remain unique . The Queen reassures her that this is not what the Borg want , they want her individuality intact . Seven returns to her initial question asking why the effort was made to capture her . The Queen replies that they need her for her individual , Human perspective . Seven does not understand as they have already assimilated her memories and could need nothing more . The Queen ' s answers that they want her to help them finally succeed in doing what they have twice tried and failed to do : assimilate Humanity . ( ; ) Seven adamantly tells her she will resist . The Queen responds that she knows this . The chamber shakes and Seven demands to know what is happening . The Queen informs her they are off to assimilate a species . She shows Seven a holo - projection of the targeted planet with a population of 392 , 000 and the inhabitants whom the Borg refer to as Species 10026 . Their presence is not required , she tells Seven , but she deems the experience necessary to remind her of what it means to be Borg . Seven looks at the projection fearfully . The Queen notices her fear , remarking that she is experiencing compassion , a Human emotion . A hatch opens in a structure in the Unicomplex , and a diamond - shaped vessel emerges , carrying Seven , the Queen , and attendant drones . It moves out of the Unicomplex to rendezvous with two Borg cubes . The three vessels head off for Species 10026 ' s planet . Aboard the diamond , Seven continues gazing at the projection in sympathetic terror . Act Seven . Aboard the " Raven " , Magnus and Erin Hansen examine a regenerating new drone that they have beamed over from a cube they have been shadowing . They ascertain the species it was a Ktarian ( Species 6961 ) . The drone ' s infrastructure was made of titanium , meaning it was a tactical drone . To their surprise they check its previous designation ( Three of Five , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 1 ) and realize it used to work close to the Borg Queen . As Annika watches with interest , they decide to put a tracking device on the drone . If it should ever return to Unimatrix 1 , they could get the opportunity to study the Queen herself . An alarm alerts them that its regeneration cycle is almost complete and they quickly beam it back to its alcove aboard the cube . While Erin and Annika eat , Magnus inspects the drone ' s downloaded cranial transceiver logs , looking for communication signals from the Queen . In Janeway ' s ready room , Chakotay reports that a comparison between the signals Magnus Hansen recorded in 2354 on the Hansens ' logs and those that Janeway discovered being sent to Seven in Cargo Bay 2 matched . Seven was indeed getting communication from what he calls " " this . . . Borg queen " " ( the existence of such a thing is unknown to Starfleet at the time " Voyager " was pulled into the Delta Quadrant , since the Hansens never returned home with their data and the Battle of Sector 001 had just recently occurred ) . Janeway notes that , whatever the nature of this " queen " , she obviously is very influential , having made Seven turn herself over to the Collective the day after contacting her . Chakotay wonders if Seven was instructed to return to the Collective , but Janreway recalls her conversation with Seven before the mission when Seven insisted that she " had " to be on the away team and go aboard the sphere or the mission would fail . Janeway tells Chakotay that Seven had seemed very afraid , as if there was something she knew that she could not tell . In hindsight , Janeway intuits that the Queen didn ' t instruct Seven " per se " ; she threatened her with the assimilation " Voyager " s crew if she did not turn herself over to the Collective . Janeway orders Chakotay to compile a list of every available technology the Hansens developed to track the Borg . Seven saved them from the Collective by turning herself over , now it ' s time to return the favor . Janeway addresses the entire crew from the bridge outlining the mission : a long - range tactical rescue . During her speech various preparations around the vessel are taking place . Torres is equipping the " Delta Flyer " with the recovered transwarp coil . An away team consisting of Paris , Tuvok , The Doctor , and Janeway will go after the sphere that took Seven through transwarp space using tracking technology Chakotay found in the Hansens ' logs . The Hansens ' multi - adaptive shielding will mask the " Delta Flyer " from Borg sensors , and narrow beam transporters will allow the away team to board the sphere . Chakotay will keep " Voyager " at the threshold of the " Delta Flyer " s transwarp conduit to offer tactical support against any pursuing Borg ships on the " Delta Flyer " s return . She ends her address with the following exhortation : they will be looking for one individual among thousands of drones . " " But she is one of us , " " she finishes , " " and I am not about to let her go . " " She looks at the expectant bridge officers . " " Let ' s get started . " " The " Delta Flyer " takes off and on Janeway ' s order , Paris brings the transwarp coil online and , in a flash of green , the shuttle goes to transwarp , heading in the direction the sphere was traveling . Tuvok detects the sphere ' s residual transwarp signature , and Janeway orders Paris to follow it . The Borg Queen ' s vessel and the two escort Borg cubes arrive at the Species 10026 planet to begin assimilation . The Borg Queen manipulates Seven into suggesting a way to adapt to Species 10026 weapons fire , a modulating phaser pulse that can penetrate Borg deflector shields . Initially Seven refuses to provide a strategy stating , " " You are the Borg , you tell me . " " The Queen does not respond ; instead , she lets the aliens bombard the Borg diamond until Seven becomes alarmed . She then calmly looks at Seven and repeats her question : How does " she " propose " they " adapt ? Not wanting to die , Seven instinctively suggests a strategy . The Queen smiles , agrees with Seven ' s assessment and communicates it to the drones for implementation . Immediately the weapons ' fire is rendered completely ineffective . Pleased , the Borg queen instructs Seven to assist in the primary assimilation chamber . However , seeing Seven ' s terrified reaction , she changes her mind , thinking aloud that perhaps she is pushing her too hard . She instructs her to assist in repairing their shield generators instead . Seven walks unsteadily through the corridors , going to her assigned task . Around her , captured members of the humanoid species are escorted by drones to assimilation chambers . Bloodcurdling screams ring out from the direction of the assimilation chambers . Fearfully , she reaches a panel and , trying her best to shut out the screams , starts repairing the generators . An explosion knocks her down , and as she attempts to stand up , two drones come behind her and pick her up roughly . She struggles as one brings a Borg prosthetic to her face . But it simply passes it over a cut she sustained , healing it . They release her and continue on their way . A small group of aliens pass by , on their way to a chamber , escorted by drones . Suddenly a male among them tries to run away past her . Instinctively , she grabs his arm , stopping him . She immediately realizes what she is doing and releases him . Her realization comes too late , as one of the drones returns for the male . It seizes him and mercilessly plunges its assimilation tubule s into his neck . He freezes , trembling in agony . Black lines radiate over his head and neck , as millions of Borg nanoprobe s flood his system , beginning his assimilation . Seven watches , horrified . She stumbles back , shuddering and hyperventilating . She then notices that she is just outside an assimilation chamber and enters . Inside , a few of the aliens watch helplessly as a drone works on assimilating one of them with exact precision . Another drone stands by watching . The victim is lying on a platform and his right arm has been severed while an attachment for the prosthetic replacement the drone is about to install is on the stump . The second drone leaves the chamber to go and carry out a repair . As soon as it has gone , Seven immediately comes up behind the drone working on the victim and deactivates it . She lifts the victim up off the platform and orders the others to assist her . They stare at her in confusion and alarm . She tells them sharply that she is not Borg ; she will help them escape . " " Assist me ! " " she orders . They take their comrade as Seven instructs them what to do . One of their ships is nearby . It is heavily damaged and the crew is dead , but the propulsion system still works . She will transport them aboard ; they must remain there until the Borg leave , and then they must flee on a heading she gives them . They nod understanding , and Seven goes to a console and beams them out . Seven re - enters the Borg Queen ' s chamber . The queen is pleased : assimilation is complete . Seven angrily asks if the three hundred thousand individuals who have just been destroyed should be congratulated as well . They should be indeed , the Borg queen responds ; they have been delivered from chaos into order . Seven sarcastically comments that she should use those words next time instead of " Resistance is futile " , they may actually get some of the victims to volunteer . The Queen responds that Seven is simply hiding behind sarcasm in order to not acknowledge the pleasure of a new species being added to the Collective , a pleasure which she fully remembers . Stop resisting , the Queen urges her , revel in it . Seven pauses . She can indeed feel it . But the sickening horror of what she has seen makes her reject it . Instead , she remembers how she used to be part of such atrocities herself . Full of guilt , she tells the Queen that she will not take pleasure in the destruction of a race . The Borg Queen is again disappointed and angered by Seven ' s reaction . Impatiently , she insists that her feelings of guilt , compassion , and empathy are irrelevant . Seven strongly disagrees , arguing that they are relevant to " her " . This further angers the Queen as there " is " no " me " , she insists ; there is only " us " . Then the Queen ' s head tilts to one side as she detects the ship containing the unassimilated aliens . It appears on her chamber ' s viewscreen and she asks Seven what should be done with it . Seven calmly and coolly tries to brush off the interrogation with subterfuge , saying that the ship contains only four aliens and would be a waste of Collective resources to capture and assimilate them , but the Queen will not have any of it , seeing through Seven ' s deception . She proclaims harshly that if one of Species 10026 escapes , then the species itself remains unassimilated . As they watch , a cube intercepts the ship and seizes it in a tractor beam . Seven watches , close to tears . She begs with the Queen to release them . " " I ' m sorry this lesson has to be so painful for you , " " the Borg Queen tells her with false sympathy , " " but you are a difficult pupil . " " She again urges Seven to abandon her Human emotions . " " They are the cause of your pain , " " she insists . Seven continues to plead with the Queen for the survivor ' s release . The Queen looks at her impatiently and releases them . The cube releases the ship from its tractor beam and the alien ship speeds off to safety . Seven is dumbfounded by this unexpected action and remarks , " " I thought compassion is irrelevant . " " The Queen acknowledges Seven with an intent gaze but gives no explanation . The " Raven " flees at maximum warp . As Magnus explains in his log entry , a subspace particle storm knocked their multi - adaptive shielding off - line , leaving them exposed to Borg sensors . It was only off - line for 13 . 2 seconds , but that was enough ; the Borg detected them and perceived them as a threat . Now they flee desperately from a Borg cube closely pursuing them . Although the Hansens have masked the " Raven " s warp drive signature , the cube still pursues them . Annika lies in bed , frightened , listening as her parents loudly discuss what to do . Erin points out a nearby Mutara class nebula as a hiding place , but Magnus rejects it , saying its particle density is too high and their hull would rupture . Erin argues that they have no time to look for anything else . Annika calls for Magnus and he goes and comforts her . On the " Delta Flyer " , The Doctor pitches an idea to Captain Janeway to send a message to Seven through her interplexing beacon . Janeway approves and asks The Doctor to try once they reach their destination . Ensign Paris reports he has found the sphere , located two hundred light years from their position . Janeway orders him to head for it and orders Tuvok to raise the multi - adaptive shielding . Act Eight . They drop out of transwarp and find themselves in the Unicomplex . The Humans and The Doctor are awestruck at the incredible size of the structure . Tuvok scans trillions of Borg lifeforms on it . A cube comes toward them but passes harmlessly , an indication that their multi - adaptive cloak is working . Janeway orders Paris to head into the Unicomplex and Tuvok begins scanning for Seven . In her chamber , the Borg Queen makes a decision , it is time for Seven to serve her purpose . She informs Seven about a new mode of assimilation they have developed , for " highly - resistant species " , surreptitious as opposed to direct assault : an assimilation virus . Seven is confused as she has no knowledge of this technology , having left the Collective before it was developed . The Queen tells her that her knowledge of the species they had in mind when designing it is invaluable . She brings up a holo - image of that species : Species 5618 – Human . As Seven listens in shock , the Queen explains how the virus works . The virus is designed to infect every lifeform on a target planet , assimilating the planet ' s life slowly . By the time the population realizes what is happening , half of their population will be drones . Seven comes to the realization that the Borg are planning to release this virus into Earth ' s atmosphere . She tries to raise the objection that such a method would be inefficient , as it would take many years to yield results . The Queen merely responds that they have waited this long and the Collective can wait the required period . She gives Seven the job of programming the nanoprobes . Seven flatly refuses to be part of Humanity ' s destruction . The Queen responds by reminding her of the thousands of assimilations she had been part of as a drone and how this is no different . After Seven still voices her refusal , the Queen again loses patience . They all came from " lesser species " ; she herself came from Species 125 . But that is irrelevant , she asserts , as they are Borg . " " I am an individual ! " " Seven responds . The Queen ' s patience begins to wear thin . She explains that this is the purpose they require Seven for and she " will " fulfill it . She threatens Seven to either comply or be re - assimilated . To emphasize the threat , she has drones converge on her . But Seven stands her ground and defiantly tells the Queen to proceed if she wishes . The Queen sees that threats will not work . Instead , she tries even more intense psychological manipulation . The Queen and the drones continue to close in on Seven as she backs away . The Queen tells Seven that she is torn between her desire to return to the Collective and her loyalty to the " Voyager " crew . She tries to comfort Seven with the expectation that all of her grief , all of her guilt , remorse and compassion will become irrelevant once Humanity is assimilated . Seven looks around at them fearfully . The Queen demands her to forget " Voyager " as they " " were " never " your Collective . " " Seven stands her ground and rebelliously states that she is Annika Hansen – Human . The Queen smiles and tells Seven that she remembers Annika but wonders if Annika remembers someone else . A drone steps forward and a horrified Seven recognizes who it was immediately - her father , Magnus Hansen . The Queen , sensing that Seven ' s resistance is weak , soothingly tells her , " " Your family ' s here . You ' re " here " . Be one with us again . " " It works and Seven begins to give in to the Queen . But then Seven hears the voice of Captain Janeway , urging her to hold on , they are coming . " " Captain . . . " " Seven whispers loudly enough for the Queen to hear her . " " What did you say ? " " she asks sharply . Seven realizes her blunder and tries to say it was nothing , but the Queen does not believe her . She seizes her face and through the hive mind probes her thoughts finding the com link set up by The Doctor . Act Nine . On board the " Flyer " , Janeway and The Doctor discover that their com link to Seven is suddenly being blocked , indicating that the Queen knows they are coming . Tuvok reports he has found Seven ' s location . Janeway orders Paris to head for the location . In her chamber , the Queen comments that although Janeway ' s com signal originated close by , they cannot detect her vessel . But she understands why this is so as they must be using the Hansens ' multi - adaptive shielding . However , she notes , they assimilated that technology , therefore they can adapt to it quickly and easily . Paris tensely reports a cube has altered course to intercept them , meaning that they have been detected . Janeway immediately orders re - modulation of the shielding . This works , but she knows they cannot fool the Borg sensors forever . They have to hurry . Tuvok reports that Seven is in a large chamber but he cannot get a transporter lock at their current distance . Janeway orders Paris to take them in closer . In her chamber , the Borg Queen attempts to use deception to dash any hope of rescue , telling Seven that the ship has been captured . However , Seven immediately knows she is lying as she is connected to the hive mind . As Seven once told Janeway , Borg make lousy liars ; they " cannot " practice deception , as the hive mind makes it impossible . ( ) Seven tells this to the Queen who is greatly angered by being reminded of this . The " Flyer " approaches the superstructure containing the Queen ' s Chamber and Paris reports it is too heavily shielded for the transporter to lock onto Seven . Janeway orders Tuvok to equip the newly - made bio - dampeners and accompany her into the structure . She orders Paris to target the chamber with the " Flyer " s weapons he asks for clarification , very concerned . " " Won ' t you be down there ? " " " " Do it " " she insists and he acknowledges . Janeway and Tuvok beam onto the superstructure , armed with phaser rifles . Their bio - dampeners work as they are undetected by the various drones while they move down a corridor . But security is heightened and force fields go up along the corridor . These fields do not block drones , only non - Borg . They watch as a drone walks through one and Janeway gets an idea ordering Tuvok to give her a subdermal bioprobe . On the " Flyer " , alarms alert Paris that the vessel ' s shielding is again being adapted by the Borg . Three cubes start converging on the shuttle . He quickly re - modulates their frequency and waits . In her chamber , the Borg Queen watches the viewscreen with great annoyance as the " Flyer " vanishes once again . Seven watches as well . " " You underestimate them , " " she tells the Queen with satisfaction . The Queen bitterly remarks that it is time for a more aggressive approach . The " Flyer " is suddenly rocked by Borg weapons fire as the approaching cubes blindly fire in the vicinity of its last known position . Aboard , Paris tensely bobs and weaves the shuttle to avoid the blasts . Back near the Queen ' s Chamber , Janeway and Tuvok walk up to a regenerating drone and Janeway implants it with the subdermal probe and has Tuvok wake it . Once activated , the drone walks up to a force field , pauses and then walks through . Janeway reads the force field ' s modulation and adjusts her bio - dampener to be compatible in order to walk through the fields herself . As she does so however , the field overloads her bio - dampener making her detectable by the Borg sensor grid . She quickly orders Tuvok to disable the shields around the chamber and hurries forward . Aboard the " Flyer " , Paris realizes that his time is up ; the Borg are now adapting to the shielding and sensing the ship no matter how fast he changes the frequency . The familiar , monotonous hail comes through : " " We are the Borg . You will be assimilated . Resistance is futile " " . In her chamber , the Borg Queen speaks the words , AS the Collective . Anguished , Seven charges at the Queen , her arm raised to strike her down , but the Queen turns and seizes her arm with hardly an effort . Seven struggles , futilely . The Queen tells Seven that retrieving her was a waste of time . " " We believed you would be an asset to us . We were wrong , " " she tells her , scornfully adding that she has become weak . " " Don ' t listen to her , Seven , " " a voice says from the doorway . They turn to see Captain Janeway standing at the door . She walks in slowly , rifle pointed at the Queen , looking directly at her . Drones converge around Janeway and she warns the Queen to call them off or be destroyed . The drones stop . The Queen matter - of - factly tells her that her weapons are useless . Janeway disputes that , replying that her tactical officer is disabling the room ' s shields and her ship ' s weapons are targeted on the chamber . The Queen observes that she and Seven will be killed along with her . Janeway responds that death is better than being one of them . The Queen tests her resolve by ordering the drones to resume their convergence on Janeway . Janeway calmly orders Paris to fire on her command ; upon seeing that Janeway is not bluffing , the Queen again halts the drones . Paris reports that the attacking cubes have withdrawn . She orders him to beam her , Tuvok , and Seven out of the chamber . Suddenly , the lighting and shadows shift within the chamber . Paris reports that a dispersal field has gone up around them and he cannot beam them out . Janeway turns to Seven and orders her to shut the field down . The Queen , though , attempts one last appeal to the Borg Seven used to be . She tells her not to listen to Janeway . " " She ' s poisoned your thoughts long enough , " " she says sharply . Janeway simply makes her instruction to Seven a direct order . The Queen tries to counter by telling Seven that one order and one voice is " insignificant " . Seven looks at the Queen and then at Janeway . Attempting to reconcile who she was and who she is now , her inner battle is finally quelled . She moves to a console and plunges in her assimilation tubules . The field drops as the Queen furiously glares at Seven . Janeway smiles and orders Paris to energize , but then the Queen tilts her head and the lights and shadows suddenly shift again . Paris reports the field is back up . She looks at Seven and Janeway with contempt . Drones begin converging on them both . The Queen orders them assimilated . The drones close on them mercilessly . Seven , however , informs Janeway that there is a power node directly above the Queen . If it is destroyed , the Queen ' s interface with the dispersal field will be broken . The Queen ' s head whips around to face her with a shocked , accusing glare . " " Our thoughts are one , " " Seven reminds her with a satisfied sneer . Janeway wastes no time and immediately destroys the node with a blast from her rifle . She and Seven disappear from the chamber in the " Flyer " s transporter beam . The Queen watches , her eyes full of fury . Act Ten . Upon beaming back onto the " Flyer " , Janeway welcomes Seven back to the crew . The Doctor runs a quick scan and finds Seven has not been in any way re - assimilated . She joins Tuvok at tactical and the " Delta Flyer " speeds away from the Unicomplex . Two cubes quickly follow the ship and are joined by the Borg Queen ' s vessel . On Janeway ' s order , the " Flyer " jumps to transwarp . Only the Borg Queen ' s vessel does the same – the cubes stay at the Unicomplex . In transwarp space , the diamond fires on the " Flyer " , damaging its port warp nacelle . The shuttle begins to rapidly lose energy and Paris reports that they will drop out of transwarp in under a minute . Janeway orders rerouting of power from life support to the engines : better to suffocate than vaporize . On " Voyager " s bridge , Torres , at tactical , reports to Chakotay that a transwarp conduit is opening – the " Flyer " is returning . Chakotay orders battle stations . In the conduit , the diamond tries to catch the " Flyer " in a tractor beam , but Seven deflects it . Paris counts down the time until they return to normal space where " Voyager " is positioned . As the " Flyer " drops back into normal space , Janeway hails " Voyager " and informs Chakotay of the Borg vessel closely pursuing them . Chakotay gets an idea and he orders Torres to fire a full spread of photon torpedoes at the conduit ' s threshold . The resulting explosion would conversely implode the conduit for distance of at least a light year , destroying anything inside it for that distance . Torres does so and as the torpedoes detonate , massive space - transwarp space explosions cause the effect that Chakotay desired . Janeway hails " Voyager " and Chakotay informs her of the action taken . They seem to be home free , and she orders him to clear the " Flyer " for docking . But then a shocked Torres reports the appearance of a large number of Borg signatures coming from the conduit . Neither she nor Chakotay can understand , as they were certain the conduit was collapsed . Chakotay tensely informs Janeway and orders battlestations and weapons ready . He and the bridge officers watch as the conduit opens , but that comes out is debris from the destroyed Borg Queen ' s vessel . They breathe a collective sigh of relief . Janeway records in her log that the stolen transwarp coil gave them twenty thousand light years of service before giving out ; they are now a good fifteen years closer to home . She enters Cargo Bay 2 and finds Seven at a console working , despite orders from The Doctor to regenerate for at least 48 hours . She is downloading Borg tactical data into the computer ' s database . She explains that she acquired a vast amount of data during her time at Unimatrix 01 , connected once again to the hive mind . This data may prove useful in any future encounters with the Borg . Janeway approves . But there is something on Seven ' s mind . She tells Janeway that she betrayed them and threatened them with assimilation and still they came back for her . She had not expected that course of action at all . Why did they do it ? Janeway smiles at her and responds that she apparently still has much to learn about Humanity . She tells her it is time to regenerate ; she has to follow The Doctor ' s orders . " " When I am finished , " " Seven replies . " " No , " " Janeway responds , her smile widening , " " now . " " Seven smiles back as she goes to her alcove and installs herself . As the regeneration cycle begins , she closes her eyes serenely . Janeway looks at her fondly and wishes her sweet dreams . Memorable quotes . " " Vessel identified : Federation Starfleet , " Intrepid " - class , 143 lifeforms . Prepare for assimilation . " " " " We are the Borg . You will be assimilated . Resistance is futile . " " " " Break off your pursuit or we ' ll open fire . " " " " Irrelevant . " " " " Is it ? You ' ve scanned our vessel . You know we can match your firepower . " " " " You will be assimilated . " " " " I don ' t know about the rest of you , but I feel lucky today . " " " " Now this is how I prefer the Borg : in pieces . " " " " Better safe than assimilated . " " " " Neelix , we need a couple of beers ! " " " " Captain ! Don ' t touch that ! " " " " What is it ? " " " " I don ' t know , but a few minutes ago it was crawling around on the floor . " " " " Ah , ah , put down the cube , muffin . It ' s not a toy . " " " " How do you propose we adapt ? " " " You " are the Borg ; you tell " me . " " " It ' s impossible to offend a mindless drone . " " " " When the New World Economy took shape in the late 22nd century , and money went the way of the dinosaur , Fort Knox was turned into a museum . A couple of Ferengi tried [ to break into it ] about 10 years ago , but other than that it is impenetrable . " " " " They left behind their trivial , selfish lives , and they ' ve been reborn with a greater purpose . We ' ve delivered them from chaos into order . " " " " Comforting words . Use them next time instead of ' Resistance is futile . ' You may elicit a few volunteers . " " " " There are three things to remember about being a starship captain : keep your shirt tucked in , go down with the ship , and never abandon a member of your crew . " " " " Seven of Nine . . . be efficient . " " ( Horrified ) " " Papa . . . ? " " " " Re - route power from life support . " " " " Captain ? " " " " I ' d rather suffocate than vaporize , do it ! " " " " Are we gonna be a - simulated ? " " Links and references . References . Alixia ; assimilation ; assimilation chamber ; asteroid field ; auto - regeneration unit ; bio - dampener ; biogenic charge ; biomolecular scanner ; Borg ; Borg Collective ; Borg cube ; Borg Queen ' s vessel ; Borg drone ; Borg probe ; Borg scout ship ( Borg sphere ) ; camouflage ; Class 2 shuttlecraft ; class 5 probe ; command interface ; compression phaser rifle ; cybernetic ; data node ; " Delta Flyer " ; Delta Quadrant ; dilithium ; dinosaur ; dispersal field ; Earth ; emergency power ; evasive maneuvers ; exobiologist ; exo - plating ; Federation Council on Exobiology ; Ferengi ; field regulator ; field notes , USS " Raven " ; Fort Knox ; Grid 325 ; Grid 532 ; hive mind ; holodeck ; holo - image ; Human ; ; interplexing beacon ; ion storm ; intruder alert ; isogrid ; kilometer ; kiloton ; Ktarian ; Ktarian beer ; laser scalpel ; logistics ; Maquis ; medical repair drone ; megawatt ; meter ; metric ton ; micro - suture ; money ; motion sickness ; muffin ; multi - adaptive shielding ; museum ; nanoprobe ; nanoprobe virus ; neural transceiver ; New World Economy ; ocular implant ; Operation Fort Knox ; Papa ; pattern enhancer ; phaser pulse ; pint ; plasma conduit ; polytrinic alloy ; power node ; pupil ; red alert ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; servo - armature ; shield matrix ; shield modulator ; shield generator ; spatial charge ; Species 125 ; Species 5618 ; Species 6961 ; Species 10026 ; Species 10026 homeworld ; Species 10026 vessel ; subdermal probe ; subspace energy fluctuation ; subspace particle storm ; suffocation ; tactical drone ; teracochrane ; teradyne ; teraquad ; throne ; time index ; toast ; tractor pulse ; transpectral analysis ; transwarp ; transwarp coil ; transwarp conduit ; transwarp signature ; triaxilation ; triquantum wave ; tritanium ; unicomplex ; Unimatrix 01 ; Unimatrix 424 ; United States dollar ; viral sequencer ; warp profile ; warp signature ;