Unimatrix Zero ( episode ) Seven is drawn into a virtual reality that some Borg drones inhabit during their regeneration cycles – a threat to the Borg Collective that Janeway wants to exploit . ( " Season finale " ) Summary . Teaser . Aboard the unicomplex , the Borg Queen , increasingly concerned over the " malfunction " that has spread throughout the Collective , summons a Borg drone to ask him what he remembers about Unimatrix Zero . The Queen is attempting to locate the carrier frequency that all of the malfunctioning drones share . When the drone doesn ' t reply , the Queen severs his connection to the hive mind , causing him discomfort . The drone says he doesn ' t remember anything from Unimatrix Zero . Frustrated , the Queen first decides to remove him from her chamber , then reconsiders . She decides to have the drone dismantled and has his cortical array – his head – removed for analysis instead . Act One . Seven of Nine sees an environment of trees during one of her regeneration cycles . When a man calls her " Annika " and reaches out to her , she wakes up from her regeneration cycle , unsettled . Seven of Nine approaches The Doctor about her dream of Unimatrix Zero . She believes her dream is a malfunction and wants the doctor to repair it . The Doctor informs her that a dream is nothing to worry about , though she ' s unsettled and would much rather never dream again . The Doctor believes that her dream is an expansion of her Humanity and that the people in her dream may be hidden desires waiting to be released . That she will soon get used to and even grow to look forward to the experience . He gives her a device to measure her rapid eye movement ( REM ) cycles . On the bridge , Tom Paris arrives to an angry Captain Janeway . She states that he is late for his duty shift . Tuvok , standing at his tactical console , says that by the ship ' s chronometer he is late by 22 seconds . Paris , confused by everyone ' s reactions , responds that he will make it up at the end of his shift . Chakotay responds , " " Be sure that you do . " " When Paris looks at B ' Elanna Torres , she gives him a look of disgust . Confused , Paris walks to the helm console and finds a box sitting at his chair . When he picks up the box , Chakotay orders him to open it . Inside the box is a black pip . " " Not only late , but improperly dressed . That belongs on your collar , Mr . Paris " " , Chakotay says . Everyone then congratulates Paris on being reinstated as a Lieutenant Junior Grade . Captain Janeway says she expects more of the same from him after one year of exemplary performance . Harry Kim , still an ensign , says that he didn ' t see a little box on his chair . The console beeps , and Paris asks if they had hidden a cake in the console . Captain Janeway and the bridge crew receive a distress call at 0900 hours from a colony on an asteroid two light year s away . Tuvok cannot pick up any transmission from the colony , just a carrier wave . The changes course to respond to the distress call . They arrive at 1100 hours , only to discover that the colony has been destroyed by the Borg . When Tuvok finds a Borg vessel departing the area after performing a scan , Janeway orders " Voyager " to leave the area at warp 6 , making a note in the ship ' s log . Seven of Nine goes back to her alcove and regenerates , only to have the same " dream . " She is approached by Axum , who tells her that she isn ' t dreaming and that she is in Unimatrix Zero and has been there many times before . Act Two . Axum tells Seven – called her Human name Annika Hansen in Unimatrix Zero – that she had been in the unimatrix for eighteen years and played a big part in all their lives . Axum explains that only one in one million Borg drones have the mutation that allow them to enter Unimatrix Zero . They only experience their individuality in the unimatrix and experiences the environment only while regenerating . Once their cycles are complete , they enter the real world , with no knowledge of what had transpired . Annika and Axum meet a child who had just been assimilated and was probably still in a Borg maturation chamber . They take the child to meet with other children in the unimatrix . Annika begins to remember people from Unimatrix Zero , including Laura , a Human woman who was assimilated at Wolf 359 . Axum tells Annika that all of Unimatrix Zero needs her help – the Borg Queen is attempting to eliminate the " malfunction " that has been afflicting the collective and detracting from perfection . Annika tells Axum that she is eager to help but that she ' s not alone , she will inform her Captain Janeway of their request and return later with a verdict . Act Three . Seven of Nine assembles the senior staff in the briefing room and informs them of Unimatrix Zero ' s call for help . Ensign Kim thinks she imagined her experiences as a dream but The Doctor informs them all that Seven was not dreaming ; he was recording her REM cycles and found that she never reached REM sleep during her time in Unimatrix Zero . Encountering further resistance from the senior staff about further engaging the Borg , Seven of Nine quotes Starfleet protocol and states that when they receive a distress call , they respond . Kim agrees ; this situation is no different . Captain Janeway wishes to get more information before making her decision , and wants to know if she can visit Unimatrix Zero . Tuvok suggests a " bridging of minds " to allow Janeway to share in Seven ' s thoughts while she is in Unimatrix Zero . The Doctor expresses his objections , but the plan goes forward anyway . In cargo bay two , Tuvok mind - meld / bridges Seven of Nine and Janeway ' s minds as Seven enters Unimatrix Zero . They meet with Axum , who describes what the Borg Queen is doing to attempt to destroy Unimatrix Zero . Janeway thinks the idea is a good one ; but she thinks that the drones should consider a more " permanent solution . " The captain wants the drones to retain their individualities outside of Unimatrix Zero and fight back against the collective as a " resistance movement . " Axum thinks the idea is ambitious , but unlikely to occur because he believes it is impossible to retain their memories in the real world . " " That sounds like you ' re suggesting a civil war " " , Annika says . " " I prefer to call it . . . a resistance movement " " , Janeway responds . Meanwhile , the Borg Queen has used the first drone to locate other drones afflicted with the malfunction . She has also disassembled them and brought a further two heads for analysis , commenting that disembodiment is the epitome of perfection . Using their cortical array s , she had found the carrier band and interlink frequency for Unimatrix Zero . She attempts to disrupt the frequency , but cannot because it is using a triaxilating modulation . She then devises a different plan – to send drones to visit Unimatrix Zero and root out the drones one by one and quickly analyze their cortical arrays to find out how to disrupt the interlink frequency . It does not work , so the Queen sends some drones to Unimatrix Zero to " Pay them a visit " . Borg drones arrive in Unimatrix Zero and begin to assimilate the individuals , causing them to revert to the real world . Once there , the Queen can track which drones have the malfunction . Janeway intervenes when one of the drones decides to assimilate a child . As the drone is destroyed , the Queen catches a glimpse of Janeway on her scanner and is visibly concerned . Act Four . Captain Janeway asks The Doctor and Torres to work on a virus that will allow the drones to retain their memories in the real world . Janeway arrives on the bridge and asks Chakotay to accompany her into her ready room . Once there , Janeway asks for his full support in this action against the Borg . Janeway notes that in the past , she has proceeded in her plans without his support . She will not go ahead with this course of action unless her first officer is in full agreement . Chakotay believes this could be a turning point in " Voyager " s battle with the Borg , and so they begin their work against the Collective . In engineering , the virus is prepared and Captain Janeway decides to infuse the virus into the central plexus of a Borg ship , thereby spreading the virus to the entire Collective . The closest vessel is 3 . 6 light - years away , a class 4 tactical cube that is heavily armed , with its central plexus shielded by multiple regenerative force field s . Seven informs Janeway that she would be detected long before she would reach the plexus . Seven returns to Unimatrix Zero and helps with the fight against the invading Borg drones . Seven – now Annika – finds Axum and informs him of Janeway ' s plan . While she is talking , Laura tells them that several Borg drones are approaching . Axum and Annika hide behind a rock . Axum has his arm around her , and Annika says that feeling was familiar . She gives him a kiss and found that feeling to be familiar as well . Annika asks if they were more than friends . Axum tells Annika that they were in a romantic relationship in Unimatrix Zero for six memorable years – only while they were regenerating . Annika , angry that Axum kept that information from her , leaves Unimatrix Zero , informing him to refer to her as Seven of Nine . Tuvok cites Starfleet Tactical Directive 36 that states the captain cannot place him / herself in a dangerous situation without being accompanied by a security officer . Therefore , he asks to come along . Torres asks to go on the away team as well because she believes that for the mission to succeed , an engineer needs to come along . She in turn cites Starfleet Tactical Directive 36A – a directive that does not exist . Janeway orders them to stay on board " Voyager " and leaves engineering , followed by Chakotay . He informs Janeway that his support was not unconditional – that if she wanted her plan to go forward , she would have to take Tuvok and Torres with her . Janeway reluctantly agrees . The ship ' s power becomes affected by an unknown force . Janeway asks for a status report from the bridge , where Harry Kim says that it is an unknown transwarp signal that is attempting to access " Voyager " s main computer . The signal opens a comm signal from the Borg Queen . Janeway goes to the bridge and talks to the Queen . The Queen first offers to give " Voyager " transwarp technology , ( which would allow Voyager to get home much faster ) , in exchange for them staying out of things that don ' t concern them . Janeway says that she has no idea what the Queen is talking about . The Queen angrily informs Janeway that she knows about her plans and again warns Janeway to stay out of things that don ' t concern her . The Queen then tells Kim that she will see him soon – most likely a reference to " Voyager " being assimilated . Janeway thinks that she has the Queen worried , so continues with her plan . Act Five . The " Delta Flyer " is readied for the mission and Tuvok , Torres , and Janeway are on board . " Voyager " begins an assault on the tactical cube and takes damage ; however , they manage to cause one of the shield generators on the cube to fluctuate . The " Delta Flyer " moves into position and transports the away team onto the cube seconds before the Queen targets the " Flyer " and destroys it . The away team moves toward the central plexus while " Voyager " continues attacking the cube . The cube , after several direct hits to the hull and the warp nacelle s , begins to target " Voyager " s warp core . The away team continues to move toward the central plexus , when they are stopped by two drones . The two drones are disabled when they are shot with phaser rifle s . More drones arrive – quickly adapting to the away team ' s weapons . The away team begins to walk away from the drones , but are stopped by two force fields , trapping them . Borg drones surround and assimilate them – first Tuvok , then Torres , and finally Captain Janeway . The Doctor says that their life sign s are destabilizing as a result of the assimilation . Chakotay says , " So far , so good " , apparently things are going according to plan , and then orders Paris to retreat at warp . As " Voyager " warps from the battle , inside the cube ; their Starfleet uniforms , hair , and skin pigmentation now gone , stand Lieutenant Commander Tuvok , Lieutenant Torres , and Captain Janeway . . . all assimilated Borg ! TO BE CONTINUED . . . Memorable quotes . " " Hiding a cake in the console ? " " " " Janeway ! " " " " We ' ll see you soon , Harry . " " " " What did she mean by that ? " " " " I didn ' t notice a little box on my chair . . . " " " " I wish you were alive to experience disembodiment . It is the epitome of perfection . " " " " Too bad you don ' t have the luxury of an interlink - node " " " " There is another possibility : a Vulcan technique known as the " bridging of minds " . " " " " Go on . . . " " " " I would need to initiate a mind - meld , with both you and Seven , acting as a telepathic conduit . " " " " You make it sound like a conference call . . . " " " " How many times have you actually performed this " Bridging of Heads " ? " " " Minds " . Never . " " " " And how can you be certain it ' ll work ? " " " " Nothing is certain , Doctor . However , I once observed a Vulcan master perform the technique . I ' m reasonably confident I can duplicate his success . " " " " Watching and doing are two different things . " " " " As always , your logic is impeccable . " " ( to himself ) " " What a comfort . . . " " " " They ' re using a triaxilating modulation ! " " " " Captain . " " " " It ' s been a long time . How are things in the collective ? " " " " Perfect . . . for the most part . " Voyager " ? " " " " Never better . " " " " Make that three . If you ' re going to pull this off you ' ll need an Engineer in there . " " " " B ' Elanna . " " " " Tactical directive 36 - A . " " " " There is no directive 36 - A . " " " " There is now . " " " " Mind melds . The last time I heard the words ' My mind to your mind ' I had a headache for two weeks . " " " " Their life signs are destablizing ! " " " " So far , so good . You can take us out of here now , Tom . " " Links and references . References . assimilation ; asteroid ; " bat ' leth " ; Battle of Wolf 359 ; Borg Civil War ; Borg cube ; class 4 tactical cube ; carrier wave ; central plexus ; chronometer ; colony ; cortical array ; cortical inhibitor ; cortical monitor ; cortical node ; Cube 461 ; Cube 1184 ; " Delta Flyer " ; dream ; Earth ; Evora ; father figure ; Grid 326 ; Grid 649 ; Grid 982 ; Hirogen ; interlink frequency ; interlink node ; Klingon ; logic ; maturation chamber ; Milky Way Galaxy ; multi - regenerative security grid ; mutation ; nanovirus ; plasma injector ; ; record book ; REM sleep ; security grid ; shield emitter ; Starfleet General Orders and Regulations ; Tactical Cube 138 ; terahertz ; transwarp conduit ; transwarp signal ; triaxilating modulation ; Trimatrix 942 ; Unimatrix 525 ; Unimatrix Zero ; Varn ' s species ; Vulcan ; Vulcan master ; Vulcan mind meld ; warp matrix