Survival Instinct ( episode ) Seven encounters three ex - Borg with whom she had been temporarily separated from the Collective eight years previously . Summary . Teaser . 2368 Dusk on an alien world . A Borg sphere streaks through the sky before crashing on the surface . Night on a fog gy , swampy world . A Borg drone walks through the mist . It is joined by a second , and then a third . Finally a fourth appears . The fourth is Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 . They gather near a dead drone . They assess their situation : their vessel has crashed , they seem to be the only survivors , and their link to the Borg Collective has been cut . Seven of Nine notes that the wrecked vessel ' s transwarp chamber will explode imminently , and leads the other three drones away from the area . They take the corpse of the dead drone with them . Act One . 2376 , Eight Years Later The has docked at the Markonian outpost . Captain Janeway has authorized a technology and culture exchange , giving the crew an opportunity for shore leave . The bridge is bustling with crew and aliens . Janeway is in her ready room , the room packed with gifts from different visiting alien delegations . Commander Chakotay brings another . Tuvok arrives , not with gifts , but a report ( not one , not two , but three pages long ) detailing minor theft and damage of some ship ' s equipment and crewmembers ' personal items , but Janeway , along with Chakotay , is nonetheless pleased at how things are going . In Astrometrics , Seven of Nine , now a former Borg drone , is working . Naomi Wildman , enters and reminds her of their lunch date . Seven tries to delay it until she has finished , but Naomi ' s plaintive complaints that she promised makes her stop and agree . They leave together . Outside , the corridor is crowded . Naomi politely asks for space for them to pass , but her small voice cannot be heard over the din . However , Seven ' s loud , imperious command to " " Stand aside ! " " gets them their required space and they proceed to the mess hall . They sit together in the mess hall , observing the aliens mixing with the crew . Naomi begins identifying them by Borg species designations , but Seven sternly chides her , reminding her that both she and Ensign Wildman disapprove of this . The presence of the large crowd begins to disquiet Seven ; she explains that crowds remind her of the Borg Collective . Naomi sympathetically suggests that they leave . They are about to do so when a burly , middle - aged man with a scarred face approaches . " " Are you Seven of Nine ? " " he asks . When Seven guardedly affirms , he opens a case and shows her some Borg implants . Seven leaps to her feet , looking as if she has seen a ghost . She remembers the events seen in the Teaser . She identifies the implants as Borg synaptic relay s from her old unimatrix , Unimatrix 01 . The man offers them to her in trade . Seven agrees , takes them and quickly leaves . The man walks way . However , he does not go far . He stands looking around . Then he mentally relays the following information : " Stage two is complete . She has the relays . She ' s going to study them . " In Engineering , a woman mentally receives the message and , also mentally , relays the location of Seven ' s alcove to him : Cargo Bay 2 . A young man in a crowded corridor also receives the message . The three agree to rendezvous at the older man ' s position , and conspire to penetrate ship ' s security . Act Two . 2368 The four marooned drones extract parts from the corpse of the dead drone to build a com beacon to contact the Collective . Three of them bear resemblance to the three conspirators . But , as they work , severed from the hive mind , their personalities and pre - assimilation memories begin to reassert themselves . One begins recalling the religious beliefs of his people regarding the treatment of the dead . Two others ask him about it . Talk of individuality starts . But Seven of Nine sternly instructs them to cease the irrelevant talk ; they are Borg , not individuals . 2376 Seven and Chief Engineer Lieutenant B ' Elanna Torres examine the Borg synaptic relays in Cargo Bay 2 , Seven ' s ' quarters ' . Meanwhile , the three conspirators discuss their course of action , seated together in the mess hall . At first , they do it mentally , but then they switch to verbal communication . There is some contention over whether or not they should actually go through with whatever they are planning , but they eventually agree to proceed . In Cargo Bay 2 , Seven , now alone , sets up one of the relays for a multi - polar analysis . The computer informs her that the analysis will take 5 hours and 17 minutes to complete . She decides to pass the time by regenerating . She installs herself in her alcove and goes into the cycle . In the mess hall , the three conspirators , by tapping into the ship ' s computer through the relay , sense her regeneration . They begin using this access to reroute internal sensor s . But , on the bridge , Lt . Commander Tuvok notices the change at his Tactical station when an alarm on his console beeps . The three conspirators wait at a turbolift as its occupants disembark . When it is empty , they board . As the lift begins to move , the woman mentally has the computer halt it . The older man begins undoing the bolts on a grate in the car ' s ceiling . On the bridge , Tuvok alerts First Officer Chakotay of a power failure he has detected in the security grid . As the three conspirators make their way through the ventilation shafts and drop down quietly in Cargo Bay 2 , Chakotay informs Captain Janeway of the detected security breach . The conspirators move to Seven ' s alcove . The man unwraps a cloth , revealing some Borg components . The woman exposes one of her legs , scarred with Borg implants , revealing her to be , like Seven , a former Borg drone . The others are , in fact , former drones as well ; they were the drones Seven was marooned with those years prior . The woman removes an implant from her leg , a Borg interlink nodule , and inserts it into the control console of Seven ' s alcove . The young man begins to worry about possible harm to Seven , but the woman urges him to remember that " " if we fail , we ' ll never become individuals . " " The young man nods . He plunges his assimilation tubule s into Seven ' s neck . The older man , looking at the components in his hand , reports successful access of Seven ' s memory files . But they then note with alarm that Seven has become aware of them and is trying to wake up . Her eyes open and she angrily fights them off . Tuvok , accompanied by two of his security officers , enter with phaser s and stun the intruders . Act Three . 2368 Having removed the salvageable parts from the dead drone , Seven of Nine and the other three survivors have found a use for the organic remains of its body : food . Seven of Nine roasts the remains . The act , however , brings up pre - assimilation memories in her ; memories of camping with her father as a child . The other three drones eat . But the act of eating , and the taste of the flesh , serves to bring more pre - assimilation memories to mind . Without the Collective to dam it , the stream of memories begins to grow . They each begin to remember their names , their species , and what they were doing when the Borg attacked and assimilated them . They are Lansor , P ' Chan , and Marika Wilkarah . Lansor was eating with a group when he was assimilated , while Wilkarah was a Starfleet officer assimilated on the . When they study their implants and prosthetics , the full appreciation of their assimilation paralyzes them in horror . But , unlike Seven of Nine they were all assimilated as adults . The sense of individuality that comes with adulthood is therefore nothing new to them . But to Seven of Nine , who was assimilated as a child and grown up as Borg , and therefore did not have that full experience of individuality before she was assimilated , this sense of individuality is terrifying . Angrily , with fear in her voice , she orders the others to stop their conversation and not to speak until the Collective re - assimilates them . 2376 The three former drones lie in sickbay . Seven and Captain Janeway listen to the condition report from The Doctor . Seven now recognizes them ; the older man was Two of Nine , Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 ; the younger man was Four of Nine , Secondary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 ; and the woman was Three of Nine , Auxiliary Processor of Unimatrix 01 . The Doctor reports that the removal of their implants was badly botched . This is evident ; their bodies are badly marred with scars and Borg implants . Their organs , he continues , were badly damaged by the procedure . He then shows them the reason for their ability to speak to each other mentally : the left parietal lobes of their brains were transformed into interlink node s , linking them together in a " mini - hive mind . " How this was done , he cannot say . Janeway orders him to wake them . She demands of them what they want with Seven . They explain their situation : they are trapped in this link that holds them together . They discovered it when they were retrieved by , and re - assimilated into , the Collective , and were unable to break it after they escaped . Thus , even though they are no longer Borg , they are unable to be individuals . They dream each other ' s dreams and constantly hear each other ' s voices in their heads . The strength of the link is evidenced by their smoothly finishing each other ' s sentences , as if it were one person speaking . It is maddening , they tell them ; they want it to end . Seven , they assert , has , in her memory files , the key to understanding how this link was formed , which could show how to break it . Seven tells them she cannot consciously recall anything relating to this , but she is willing to allow them to access her memory files in the hope of finding out . Janeway agrees and authorizes the procedure . Act Four . In Cargo Bay 2 , Seven , Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika use the Borg data equipment that Seven has to check their memory files . The four each realize the same thing : there is a gap between the time they were gathered round the fire with which they roasted the organic remains of the dead drone and when they were again a part of the Collective . This is greatly frustrating to Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika . Captain Janeway is in her ready room disciplining two of her senior staff : Ensign Thomas Paris and Ensign Harry Kim . The two got into a street brawl on the station . She confines them to quarters with instructions to report to the Sickbay for treatment of their injuries first . When they have gone , Seven enters and reports the gap she and her fellow former drones discovered in their memories . She cannot understand ; the Collective would not bother to wipe memories of re - assimilation from the minds of retrieved drones ; new drones , yes , to further cement the destruction of their individuality , but not drones that already exist . Nor is there any advantage in linking the minds of three drones together within the hive mind , which is already one giant linkage . Seven suggests a possible solution : she can link her neural interface with theirs , in effect , joining their group link . Together , they may be able to restore the missing memory data . This is dangerous , however ; Seven may become trapped in the link with them . Also , she finds the idea of again being in a group mind very disturbing . But she greatly desires to help her fellows , former drones like herself . Janeway agrees to the procedure . The Doctor is in Cargo bay 2 with Seven and the other former drones . He is there to monitor the link . But , he warns Seven , he will not be able to do much should anything go awry . She understands this . She enters her alcove . Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika each take one of the other three alcoves next to Seven ' s . They all install themselves and the process begins . 2368 Seven of Nine has left the other drones . The beacon they have set up to contact the Collective has worked ; a Borg vessel is on its way . But Seven has detected another drone some distance off in the swamp , severely damaged . She goes to attempt to render assistance . But to no avail ; she watches as the drone convulses and , finally , dies . This greatly heightens her fear . She rushes back to the other drones . But , on arrival , she finds that their individuality has now completely re - asserted itself . They angrily state that they have no intention of rejoining the Collective . Seven , even more frightened now , angrily and fearfully tries to argue , insisting that they are Borg , not individuals , with their primary function being to serve the Collective . But they will not listen . They decide to leave the area , getting away from the beacon and modifying their cortical node s to avoid the sensors of any drones that come down to look for them . They scatter . Seven looks on fearfully . She appears to come to a decision , and strides after one of them . She finds Two of Nine . She grabs his neck and plunges her tubules into it . He goes silent and stands quietly . When Seven moves away , he follows . She then finds Four of Nine . She comes up behind him and does the same to him . He becomes like Two of Nine and follows her . Lastly , she finds Three of Nine . As she screams and struggles , Seven plunges in her tubules . She becomes like the others . Seven asks them to state their designations . They do so , with no hint of their individuality . She asks them to state their purpose . To serve the Collective , they respond . Satisfied , she leads them back to the beacon . 2376 Seven awakens to find Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika in her face . They are furious now , knowing that she is responsible for linking them together . Overwhelmed , Seven screams for help . Tuvok enters the bay immediately . The three former drone collapse , and The Doctor asks him for help in getting them to Sickbay . Act Five . In breaking the new link prematurely , the ex - drones have sent themselves into neural shock indefinitely . As Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika lie sedated in the Sickbay , The Doctor sadly informs Seven that the old link between them can be broken by removing the micro - cortical implants . These are the implants that she created in them to link them together . But doing so would kill them ; they would have a month at most to live . The only other solution would be to return them to the Collective , where they would live , but as drones . The Doctor wants her opinion on what to do . Seven leaves to think about it . She goes to Chakotay . As he himself was once temporarily linked to a mini - collective of former Borg drones , she considers him the best person to advise her on what to do ( ) . She explains the situation , and tells him about what happened that night . Without any air of judgment , he asks her why she did what she did . She thinks about it , and responds that her extreme fear of dying alone on that planet , cut off from the Collective , which was all she knew , got the better of her . Thus she forcibly linked them together so that they would remain together with her until they were re - assimilated . Her guilt over doing so is evident ; because of her action they now have no choice but to re - join the Collective or die within a month . Chakotay tells her that that one month of individuality is much better than a lifetime as a drone . " " Which would " you " choose ? " " he asks her . This allows her to decide . She heads back to the Sickbay and tells The Doctor to remove the nodes . The Doctor objects , however . He tells her that it is his duty as a physician to preserve their lives for as long as possible , even if that means returning them to the Collective . He asks her if her decision is really to help them or to alleviate her guilt . But she responds by using him as an example ; once he was confined to the Sickbay , and limited only to the original emergency medical protocols he was first activated with . Thus he was like a drone . Now he can go anywhere and his program has grown to encompass much more than what it used to be . If he had to go back to " " being a drone again " " , she asserts , he would resist . Lansor , P ' Chan and Marika have the opportunity to be free , independent individuals , even if it is only briefly . They would choose that over being drones again , as would he , and as would she . The Doctor is moved by the logic of the argument . He agrees to remove the nodes . Lansor , P ' Chan , and Marika , the nodes removed and the link broken , are in the mess hall , looking out the windows . They revel in the newfound silences in their heads , save for each ' s own mental voice . Seven is standing apart from them quietly . They decide on what they are going to do with the time they have left . Lansor decides to stay on the station and spend the time meeting new people and doing new things . Before he leaves , he looks at Seven . The memory of what she did shows in a flash of anger on his face , but that is replaced by a look of gratitude . He departs . P ' Chan decides to leave for an uninhabited planet a few light year s away . He wants to spend his time among nature . He holds no grudge against Seven , telling her his people do not believe in doing such . He wishes her well and leaves . Finally , Marika tells Seven she would like to stay on " Voyager " for as long as she has left . Unlike Lansor and P ' Chan , she does hold a grudge against her . But , she tells her that , though she cannot forgive her , she understands the reason for her action . Seven accepts this . " Voyager " has resumed course and is at warp speed . Seven is in astrometrics . Naomi Wildman joins her . She has heard about the events that have occurred and has come to offer Seven some close company . Seven is glad for it . Memorable quotes . " " It ' s never a good sign when the patient feels the need to comfort the doctor . " " " " YOU stay here and be reassimilated , if you want to . I won ' t . " " " " Doesn ' t it look like Christmas morning in here , Commander ? " " " " You have to admit , the generosity of our guests is very impressive . " " " " As is their proclivity for criminal behavior . " " ( Presents PADD ) " " This morning ' s security report . " " ( Reads ) " " Broken ODN line , some missing personal items , damaged scanner relay . All in all not that bad . " " " " There is a second page to the report . " " ( After reading further ) " " Well , some of these incidents are a little more serious , but on balance , I still think we did the right thing . " " " " There is a " third " page . " " " " We wanted to broaden our understanding of alien cultures and . . . " " " " Skip the recruiting speech . You were looking for a bar . " " " " It ' s got me by the hair ! " " " " The biomatter is ready . " " " " It tastes similar to a bird I once ate . . . " " " " Survival is insufficient . " " " " I beg your pardon ? " " " " Eight years ago , I forced them to return to the Collective . I won ' t make the same mistake again . They deserve to exist as individuals . We must terminate the link between them . " " Links and references . References . Ansha ; assimilation ; Bajoran ; bird ; Borg ; Borg alcove ; Borg sphere ; Brothara ; Christmas ; confined to quarters ; cortical implant ; cortical processor ; Dornar ; ; Federation ; ; Inavar Prime ; interlink module ; interlink node ; internal organ ; Kinbori ; Markonian ; Markonian outpost ; Markonian outpost station manager ; marsupial surprise ; memory cascade ; microcortical implant ; Morphinian ; multi - polar analysis ; nanoprobe ; neural interface ; neural link ; neural shock ; nostalgia ; ODN line ; Orendal V ; Orendal system ; parietal lobe ; pizza ; Planet 1865 - Alpha ; power conversion matrix ; scanner relay ; Shivolian ; shore leave ; Species 571 ; station manager ; swamp ; synaptic relay ; tennis ; transwarp chamber ; unimatrix ; vine ; Voth ; " Voyager " medallion ; white noise ; ; xenophobia