Scorpion , Part II ( episode ) Captain Janeway forges a shaky alliance with the Borg Collective to defeat Species 8472 , leading to a new potential crewmember coming aboard . ( " Season premiere " ) Summary . Teaser . The Borg cube races away from the destruction wreaked upon the assimilated system by Species 8472 , still with in the grip of its tractor beam . On the bridge of " Voyager " , with Captain Kathryn Janeway on the cube , Commander Chakotay is in command . Lieutenant B ' Elanna Torres , standing in at operations for the incapacitated Ensign Harry Kim , reports that the cube ' s shields are down ; she has a transporter lock on the captain . Chakotay orders her to beam her back and break them free of the tractor beam . To Tuvok he orders weapons be made ready . However , Torres is unable to beam Janeway back to " Voyager " as the cube adapts to the transport attempts . Tuvok reports a hail from the cube . Chakotay orders it be put on screen . Captain Janeway ' s face appears . She orders Chakotay to cease the transporter attempts . She then announces that she has made the deal with the collective . Tom Paris confirms that the cube has altered course for the Alpha Quadrant . Janeway says this is part of the accord , they will work on the weapon en route . Chakotay dubiously inquires as to how this arrangement is going to begin . Janeway responds that she will work with the Borg on the cube , since they have technology that will make the job progress faster . Chakotay strongly suggests she return to " Voyager " . But Janeway is adamant that she will work on the cube , as the accord dictates . Chakotay then suggests that at least the cube can release them as " Voyager " can keep up with it without a leash . Janeway says she will propose it and then orders Tuvok to join her . With a final , firm look at Chakotay , she insists to him they " will " make this work and the communication ends . Chakotay , still against the very notion of an alliance with the Borg , tersely orders Tuvok to join the Captain . Act One . In sickbay , The Doctor has finished preparing the treatment for Ensign Kim . He shows Chakotay ten million Borg nanoprobe s he has modified to destroy the Species 8472 cells . With Chakotay looking on , he injects them into Kim . They are immediately successful ; the area around the injection site turns from the horrid , deformed mass that covers the rest of Kim ' s face , neck and shoulders to mottled Borg - gray as the nanoprobes spread out , and finally reverts to normal Human skin . Chakotay , Kes , and The Doctor are quietly elated . Chakotay congratulates The Doctor and instructs that he be informed when Kim is fit for duty . As he moves to leave , however , The Doctor stops him and voices his concern about the alliance ; a medical treatment is a long way from a weapon of war . Chakotay makes no display of his opinion , simply telling him to " leave it to the captain " , and reminds him to keep all the information about the nanoprobes stored in his holo - matrix . The Doctor agrees and notes he will delete himself at the first sign of trouble – " " well , maybe not the " first " sign , " " he jokingly says . Chakotay , in no joking mood over the current crisis , walks away . Returning to the bridge , Chakotay gets a status report from Torres : Tuvok has transported onto the cube , the cube ' s tractor beam still has them , and its shields are regenerating . Chakotay orders constant transporter locks on the Captain and Tuvok . Torres begins to respond that she cannot do so , as the Borg will just match their frequencies , but Chakotay angrily cuts her off , snapping at her not to tell him what " cannot " be done . " " Just find a way to get our people out of there if we have to , " " he orders sharply . She blanches and redoubles her efforts . The ship is suddenly shaken , and Paris reports the cube ' s tractor beam has been cut . He comments that the Borg , unbelievably , are actually honoring the accord . In sickbay , Kes is standing at a wall console , working . Suddenly she thinks she sees something . Wheeling round , she stares round at the empty room and takes a few tentative steps forward . Then she sees an 8472 charging directly at her . She screams , a high , keening cry that brings The Doctor running out from his office . He finds her crouched against a wall , shivering in terror . He immediately scrunches at her side , hands protectively on her shoulder , asking her what is wrong . She stares at him wide - eyed . " " They ' re watching us , " " she gasps . On the cube , Janeway and Tuvok are led , rather roughly , to an area at the cube ' s center . Tuvok shows her information on the 8472 vessel they had encountered back in the carnage of Borg cubes . A cross - reference with The Doctor ' s research makes it clear that the aliens " and " their ships are made of the same biological material . They arrive at their destination and a drone blocks them from going any further . The Collective orders them to proceed . Janeway reveals the information given to her by Tuvok , and suggests that this means the alien ships would be susceptible to The Doctor ' s modified nanoprobes . She is suggesting , as a course of action , the development of a delivery system for the nanoprobes against the aliens ' ships when , suddenly , two drones force them to their knees and proceed to attach devices to their neck s . They demand to know what the drones are doing . The Collective tells them they will receive temporary neural transceiver s , so that they can work with it as one mind . Janeway fervently disagrees with the idea . But the collective is not interested in her approval ; it calls their " primitive method of communication " ( speaking ) " inefficient . " Janeway suggests it choose a representative to speak for it , as it once chose Jean - Luc Picard to speak for it as Locutus . In fact , she does more than suggest ; she " demands " it accept the idea or she will terminate the accord . It considers and does accept . A door opens , leading to a short , dimly - lit corridor . At the end , a drone disconnects from its alcove . It walks purposefully to the door and steps out , into the room . It gazes at them coldly . " " I speak for the Borg . " " it announces . Act Two . The drone was obviously , from its facial structure and body shape , a Human female before assimilation . The two officer s introduce themselves . It haughtily responds that they are aware of their designations . Janeway asks the drone for " its " designation . It responds : " " Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero - One . " " But , it adds , they may call it ' Seven of Nine ' . It concurs with her proposal of a large - scale weapon . Tuvok suggests installing the nanoprobes in " Voyager " s photon torpedoes , essentially creating ' biomolecular warheads ' , but the drone responds that their torpedoes are inadequate , lacking the necessary range and force . Janeway ask it if it has a better suggestion . It crisply responds , " " We are " Borg " , " " and turns away to go to a console . The officers look at each other and follow . At the console , it brings up a schematic of a device , which it presents as the Collective ' s idea of a more suitable weapon : a multikinetic neutronic mine with a five million isoton yield . Tuvok notes that this would affect an entire star system . Janeway strongly objects ; this is a weapon of mass destruction ; it would put innocent lives at risk . But such considerations are irrelevant to the Collective . " " It would be efficient , " " Seven of Nine responds , walking away . The officers press their objection ; Tuvok states that it would take several weeks to produce enough modified nanoprobes – 50 trillion – for such a weapon ; weeks that the Borg cannot afford to spare . Janeway adds that their enemy currently thinks itself invulnerable ; a few smaller weapons would show them otherwise and possibly cause them to give up and withdraw . Seven of Nine ' s response is to look at them with disdain and scornfully call them " individuals " ; " small " , thinking in " small " terms . But then it falls silent as the collective gives it instructions . It immediately walks back to them , saying that the current situation demands consideration of their plan ( the Collective ' s instructions , obviously , were to go along with the idea ) . Returning to the console , it calls up " Voyager " s weapons inventory , specifically their photon torpedo specifications . The thunderstruck officers ask it how the Borg acquired this information . It responds again : " " We are " Borg " . " " The officers look on silently as it begins to work on modifying their torpedo designs to accommodate the proposed nanoprobe warheads . On " Voyager " , The Doctor updates Chakotay on Kes ' visions . They are increasing in frequency and intensity , and have become more than simple communications ; now it is as if the aliens were in the same room with her . He reports that certain regions of her brain are hyper - stimulated every time she has a vision , specifically those centers dealing with memory and perception . The inference is disturbing : they are accessing her memories , finding out about them and what their intentions are , and using her eyes to see what they are doing . In short , they are learning their plans and using her to mount surveillance on them . Thus , they may already know about the nanoprobes . . . On the cube , Janeway attempts to learn more about Seven of Nine ' s past ; about the Human it had once been . She learns from it that its Human body was assimilated eighteen years prior , ceasing to be Human at that time , becoming a new Borg drone . Janeway attempts to learn more , asking it that Human ' s name ; it is obvious she is trying to contact that Human part of it . But it cuts her off , snapping at her not to attempt to " engage us in further irrelevant discourse . " A hail then comes in from " Voyager " . Chakotay informs Janeway that the 8472s are accessing Kes ' memory . Knowing what that means , Janeway recommends to Seven of Nine that they change course . It silently consults with the collective , which agrees and communicates the course change to the drones on the cube . The cube changes course accordingly . Seven of Nine informs Janeway and Janeway orders Chakotay to adjust " Voyager " s course to match . She further orders him to keep her abreast of developments regarding Kes . Chakotay acknowledges and the communication ends . Seven of Nine then demands one of " Voyager " s torpedoes , as well as some of the modified nanoprobes . Janeway flatly refuses . The drone presses her , stating that the situation has changed ; the risk of attack has increased , and therefore a prototype must be tested immediately . But Janeway does not budge , responding that the nanoprobes are their only guarantee against assimilation . Seven of Nine attempts to force her with threats . In a soft , dangerous voice , it asks her if they are willing to risk a direct confrontation with them , and if she thought the crew could resist a contingent of 500 drones if they were to board their vessel . Janeway simply responds that she , and her crew , would die trying . Seven of Nine goes silent again as the collective instructs it ( its obvious instructions : " " Stop pushing ! " " ) . " " That won ' t be necessary , " " it relents , and returns to work on the torpedo designs . On " Voyager " , Ensign Kim , fully recovered , returns to duty at the bridge ' s operations station , happily greeted by Chakotay and the other bridge officers . Torres teases him by saying , " " You ' ve still got a tendril up your nose . " " The moment of levity ends quickly , however , when Lieutenant Paris reports a singularity opening nearby . Chakotay immediately orders shields raised and a transporter lock on Tuvok and Janeway . An 8472 vessel emerges and makes straight for the cube and " Voyager " . But this time the target is not the cube , but " Voyager " . The aliens indeed have learned of the nanoprobes from their probes of Kes ' memory , and are bent on destroying them and their creators . The ship opens fire on " Voyager " . The cube attempts to protect " Voyager " , firing on the alien ship , but , unsurprisingly , its weapons are completely ineffective . On the cube , Tuvok , Janeway and Seven of Nine monitor " Voyager " s condition , the two officers noting tensely that it is taking heavy damage , and is unlikely to survive the assault . The cube moves between " Voyager " and the 8472 vessel , shielding " Voyager " and taking the 8472 ship ' s fire , as " Voyager " dashes clear . Explosions rock the cube ; within , drones are blown from their alcoves that explode from energy discharges and overloads . One such explosion catches Janeway , knocking her unconscious and severely injuring her . On " Voyager " , Chakotay and the bridge officers watch the viewscreen in horror as the cube suddenly slows , causing the 8472 ship to crash into it . A massive explosion ensues . Chakotay demands a report of the cube ' s condition . Paris bleakly reports the horrific truth : it was destroyed , along with the 8472 ship , and , it seems , Captain Janeway and Tuvok . But then a hail comes from Cargo Bay 2 . It is Tuvok , barely conscious . He reports that the Borg beamed him , the captain and a small number of drones over , just before the cube ' s destruction . He asks for medical assistance before going silent . Chakotay gives Paris the bridge , orders the entire deck on which Cargo Bay 2 is located sealed and security to meet him outside the cargo bay , as he heads for the turbolift . Chakotay and two security officers enter the cargo bay , armed with phaser rifle s . They find Janeway and Tuvok , unconscious . The captain has a deep , bloody gash along her face . Chakotay and the officers search for the drones . Suddenly an exo - plating - armored arm extends and the index finger of the hand attached to that arm points at them . A commanding voice tells them to lower their weapons , and Seven of Nine steps forward . It tells Chakotay they are here with the captain ' s consent , further stating that the cube sacrificed itself to protect " Voyager " . Chakotay and the security officers stare at it , making no move to lower their weapons . It walks slowly up to Chakotay and reminds him of the alliance . Their weapons drop , slowly . Act Three . Janeway and Tuvok are treated in sickbay ; The Doctor attends to Janeway and Kes treats Tuvok . Tuvok , despite his appearance when found , has suffered no serious injuries , and has quickly recovered . Tuvok then asks Kes how " she " is doing with regards to her visions . She says that they have stopped for the time being . Janeway , however , is in extremely serious condition . The Doctor informs Tuvok and Chakotay that her neural pathways are disrupted ; he will have to induce coma in her to facilitate her recovery , but he has no idea if she " will " recover . He tells Chakotay that she wants to speak with him , but warns him to be brief . Chakotay orders Tuvok to supervise security regarding the drones ; an " extremely " severe security risk , they are " not " to be allowed out of cargo bay 2 . He goes to Janeway ' s side . Weakly , but very determinedly , she hands command to him . She tells him the Borg will push and threaten him , but have no choice but to honor the accord ; their survival depends on it . She exhorts him to make the alliance work and get the crew home , as if these are her last words , before The Doctor comes and says he needs to induce the coma now . Chakotay clasps her hand and lays it at her side as she loses consciousness . Accompanied by two armed security officers , Chakotay goes to cargo bay 2 . The bay has been assimilated by the drones . Seven of Nine meets him and demands to speak with Janeway . Chakotay responds that she is recovering from her injuries ; it will now be dealing with him . The drone tells him the loss of their vessel requires a change in the accord . Chakotay responds that he is willing to let the accord stand : they will work on the weapon , and , once " Voyager " is safely past Borg space , the nanoprobes will be given to them and they will depart . Seven of Nine calls this insufficient ; projections show they will have lost the war by then . It accesses a Borg console and shows him the position of another cube , forty light year s from " Voyager " . " " You will reverse course and take us to it , " " it commands . Chakotay refuses ; the cube is five days away and , more importantly , in the wrong direction , further into Borg space . He insists that he will honor the original agreement but they will " not " go back ; it is too dangerous . Seven of Nine responds , in a threatening tone , that denying their request is also very dangerous . Chakotay promises to " think about it " . " " Think quickly , " " it responds dangerously , and walks away . Chakotay calls a meeting of all senior staff . Kes attends for The Doctor , who is fully occupied treating Captain Janeway . Chakotay explains the situation to them : the Borg want them to rendezvous with another cube , but doing so is far too risky , as the 8472s are now after " Voyager " specifically . Therefore , he intends to end the alliance . The officers are surprised ; as unlikely as it has been , the Borg have kept their end of the bargain . In " Voyager " s briefing room , Chakotay explains that he plans to drop the drones off on an uninhabited planet with the nanoprobes and they will continue on their way ; he is in command and must do what he believes is best for the ship and crew . He orders Lieutenant Paris to scan for such a planet . Tuvok warns him that the Borg will not go quietly . He orders that " that female drone " be brought to him in Janeway ' s ready room . Seven of Nine is brought by armed security to Chakotay in the captain ' s ready room . He outlines his plan to it to drop it and the other drones off with the nanoprobes , suggesting they " part ways amicably " . Seven of Nine begins to object , but Chakotay cuts it off ; his decision is final . Seven of Nine threatens assimilation of " Voyager " . Chakotay responds that if a single drone leaves the cargo bay he will have the whole deck decompressed and thus , they will not be much of a threat floating in space . Seven of Nine fixes him with a cold stare and responds that they had suspected an agreement with Humans could not be maintained . " " You are erratic , " " it tells him . " " Conflicted ; disorganized . Every decision is debated , every action questioned . Every individual entitled to their own " small " opinion . You lack harmony ; cohesion ; greatness . It will be your undoing . " " Chakotay has no answer . He orders it taken back to the cargo bay . In sickbay , Chakotay quietly speaks to the comatose Captain Janeway . Though she cannot hear him , he tells her the action he has taken , and fervently hopes for her understanding and forgiveness . Act Four . As Seven of Nine and the other drones work in cargo bay 2 , the Collective updates them on the status of the war . The Borg are steadily being moved further and further toward extermination . It lists the casualties of the last battle , occurring in an area of their space designated as Matrix 010 , Grid 19 . Eight planets destroyed . 312 vessels disabled . Four " million " , six hundred and twenty one drones killed . Time is fast running out . It instructs them to force the Humans ' hand by seizing control of their vessel and take it into the alien realm . Seven of Nine acknowledges . Two drones open a Jefferies tube hatch , and Seven of Nine crawls in . " Voyager " arrives at an uninhabited moon . Chakotay orders Lt . Paris to move the ship into orbit , and orders Tuvok to prepare to beam the drones directly to the surface . Then Ensign Kim reports that the drones have accessed their deflector controls . Chakotay orders him to shut them out . Kim tries , but to no avail . Torres reports that a quantum singularity is forming ; the drones are using the deflector to open it . Chakotay hails the cargo bay and warns them that if they do not stop he will have the bay decompressed . They do not respond . He gives the order to Tuvok . Tuvok opens the outer doors to the bay , after deactivating the force field that normally contains the atmosphere when the outer doors are open . The atmosphere within rushes out in a powerful blast , taking the drones with it . However , Seven of Nine holds on tenaciously to the ridges in the Jefferies tube it has entered , anchoring itself firmly . It remains there until the doors close . On the bridge , Tuvok reports that the cargo bay has been completely decompressed , but there is one drone still aboard . Then the pull of the singularity seizes the ship . There is nothing they can do ; they are drawn in as a vacuum draws in debris . They find themselves in an environment unlike anything they have ever experienced , or imagined . There are no stars or planets ; in fact , there is no " space " ; just , as Torres reports , fluidic matter . Seven of Nine , having emerged from the Jefferies tube , and able to survive in a vacuum for a limited time as Borg drones are capable of doing , hails Chakotay and informs him of where they are : in the fluidic realm of Species 8472 . Chakotay orders the re - pressurization of the bay . He then gives the bridge to Paris and heads for the turbolift , taking Tuvok with him . Chakotay and Tuvok arrive at the cargo bay . Seven of Nine tells them that their arrival has been noted , and that 8472 vessels will be at their position in three hours , seventeen minutes . The exact time frame the drone states , down to the minute , strikes Chakotay as odd ; he comments that it seems to know a lot about this place , as if it has been here previously . He asks it if this is so . It ignores him , insisting that they must prepare for the aliens ' arrival by building the nanoprobe - warhead torpedoes . Chakotay , however , presses the matter . And then the epiphany hits him ; it " has " been here previously . In fact , the " Borg " have been here previously ; they invaded the aliens ' realm and attempted to assimilate them , thus starting the war . They never considered that this species may be more powerful than they ; that it could resist them ; that they could fight back . Chakotay accusingly tells this to Seven of Nine . The drone does not deny it , responding that the species was " " more resistant than we had anticipated " " , and that their technology is superior to anything they had previously encountered . Tuvok adds to the accusation , telling it that this is precisely why the Borg wanted them . It explains that the species is the apex of biological evolution ; their assimilation would have greatly added to Borg ' perfection ' . " " So instead of assimilating these aliens , " " Tuvok responds , " " You opened a door for them into " our " galaxy . " " His inference is clear : all life in the galaxy is now poised to pay for Borg aggression . Seven of Nine insists that the only course of action is therefore to destroy the aliens first . It tells them its link to the collective is not strong enough for communication there . It thus cannot call for help ; they are alone . It again presses for immediate construction of the nanoprobe torpedoes . Just then , The Doctor hails Chakotay . He acknowledges and heads for the Sickbay . He arrives to find Captain Janeway fully recovered and on her feet , but intensely angry . She asks The Doctor to excuse them for a moment . The Doctor acquiesces and deactivates himself . Janeway sharply tells Chakotay The Doctor has informed her of all that has happened , and demands his explanation for why he disobeyed her . Chakotay defensively responds that the Borg wanted him to go further back into Borg space . He asks her what she would have done . She responds that she would have changed course and maintained the accord for as long as possible . She cuttingly accuses him of waiting for a chance to circumvent her orders , never trusting her to make the alliance work . He protests that he made a tactical decision , and tells her his newly acquired information that the Borg are simply using them to save their skins from the consequences of their aggression , having " started " the war with Species 8472 . This mollifies Janeway , somewhat . He informs her that there is only one drone left , and urges her to attempt to disable it and use the deflector to open another singularity to return to the Delta Quadrant . But she flatly refuses ; she intends to reinstate the accord and fight the aliens alongside the Borg . Chakotay heatedly responds that the Borg cannot be trusted . He knows them , he insists , having been part of a mini - collective of former drones once ( ) . They pace up and down silently , frustrated . It is clear to them that they can continue the argument " ad infinitum " without a consensus . They see how little use their continued squabbling is . It is Janeway who makes the first step toward reconciliation , telling him that they need to stop fighting each other in order to get though this . Chakotay agrees , telling her what Seven of Nine said about their lack of cohesion being their undoing . They agree to put their difference of opinion aside , and work together , as they should be doing . Seven of Nine steps out from the turbolift onto the bridge , meeting Janeway there . She tells the drone that Chakotay has been relieved of duty and is confined to the brig for disobeying her . She orders Tuvok to give it the nanoprobes and work with it to modify the torpedoes to deliver them . Janeway then addresses the bridge officers : they are going to engage the enemy right there in their own realm . If the nanoprobes work , and the aliens have any sense of self - preservation , they will withdraw from the Delta Quadrant . They have less than two hours to arm and ready themselves before 8472 ships arrive . She strides to her seat and takes her position , her face tight with grim determination . " We ' re going to war " , she says . Act Five . Two hours later , " Voyager " is ready . Kes is present on the bridge , sitting in the first officer ' s seat next to Janeway ' s . Seven of Nine stands close to Ensign Kim ' s operations station . Kim reports that modifications the Borg have made to " Voyager " to give them a better fighting chance are complete . Janeway orders them activated . " Voyager " s hull , seen from the outside , begins to glow Borg - green in several places . Tuvok reports the nanoprobe weapons are ready : thirteen standard torpedoes and one class 10 high yield torpedo . Janeway informs the crew to stand by . Paris reports four 8472 ships coming in . Janeway orders battle stations . Kim reports that the alien ships are in visual range . Janeway orders an on - screen view . On the viewscreen , the squid - like vessels are seen , closing fast . Then Kes begins getting telepathic messages from the aliens . " " I can hear them , " " she tells Janeway . " " They say we ' ve contaminated their realm , " " Janeway , seeking to avoid hostilities if possible , even at this stage , tells Kes to tell them they had no choice ; they were only trying to defend themselves . But the aliens retort that " Voyager " s galaxy is a threat to their genetic integrity . Janeway tells Kes to tell them of the nanoprobe weapons and warn them that these weapons will be used if they do not stop their attacks . The aliens are not intimidated . " " Your galaxy will be purged , " " they insist . The 8472 ships open fire , strafing " Voyager " . The ship rocks under their attack . Paris reports that they are coming around for another run . Janeway orders Tuvok to fire . He does , letting fly four of the modified standard torpedoes , which glow green instead of the usual bright yellow - orange . They strike their targets dead - on . But they seemingly have no effect . Janeway stares at the viewscreen in horror . Kim tensely reports that the ships are charging weapons . It seems like the end . . . And then the ships suddenly stall , crystallize , becoming the same shade of green as the torpedoes , and explode . Tuvok comments that the torpedoes were indeed effective . . . if not prompt . Janeway , relieved , says that they have made their point , showing the aliens they are no longer invincible . She tells Seven of Nine to open another singularity , allowing them to leave . The drone goes to a console , shoving the bridge officer there out of the way , and proceeds to do so . Janeway eyes it coldly . She now has no illusions about what is going to happen when they get back . It is fortunate that they are prepared . . . " Voyager " emerges back into the Delta Quadrant . It is immediately set upon from aft by several more 8472 vessels . Janeway tells Kes to tell them that if they do not back off , they will deploy the weapon again . Kes does so , but the aliens do not respond . Janeway orders Tuvok to ready the high - yield torpedo , launching it from aft . The aliens start firing on them . Janeway orders Tuvok to fire , which he does . The torpedo , glowing the same green as the four standard ones but much larger , flies straight into the midst of the alien ships and detonates . " Voyager " is rocked by the shock wave , but is otherwise unharmed , while the alien ships caught in the blast , like the four before them , stall , crystallize green , and explode . Tuvok reports that thirteen of the ships were destroyed , and the others are retreating . Seven of Nine tells them it is again in contact with the Collective . It inclines its head slightly as the collective communicates with it . It relays what it has said : all 8472 vessels are retreating back into their realm . " " The Borg have prevailed , " " it announces . Janeway rises and , facing the drone , calls upon it to fulfill the Collective ' s end of the deal , offering it a shuttle to leave for the nearest cube . The double - cross then happens . " " Unacceptable , " " Seven of Nine responds . " " This alliance is terminated . Your ship and its crew will adapt to service " us . " It strides toward the helm console . Paris fires a phaser at it but its personal shield nullifies the beam . Unhindered , it continues to the console , batting Paris aside on arrival . " " Resistance is " futile " , " " it states coldly . It stands before the console and plunges its assimilation tubules into it . Kim reports that it is commandeering helm control and accessing their coordinates ; its intent is to transmit that information to the Collective , while preventing them from fleeing . They will then have only a short , agonizing wait before one or more cubes descend on them like wolves . Janeway orders him to block its access ; he fails of course . But , as was said , they are prepared . With an icy stare at the drone , Janeway hails Chakotay . She tells him a single word ; " " Scorpion . " " In cargo bay 2 , Chakotay is standing in one of the alcoves that had been beamed over from the borg ship . The Doctor attaches a neural transceiver to his neck . Chakotay then links with Seven of Nine and , using his previous experience , begins an attempt to reach the Human within the drone , while Lt . Torres works feverishly at a Borg console . The Doctor urges Torres to hurry , telling her the link will not last long . Chakotay continues his attempt , telling the drone he can see its memories ; memories of being Human . A happy little Human girl is seen , running through a green , lush field . On the bridge , Seven of Nine distractedly mutters : " " We are " Borg " . " " Chakotay continues to pull up its pre - assimilation memories , this time of the little girl frolicking happily with her parents in the same lush field . " " Irrelevant , " " Seven of Nine retorts tightly . " " Your appeal to my " ( it uses the " singular " , a very significant point ) " Humanity is pointless . " " Torres urges him to keep it up just a bit longer ; she is almost ready . He makes one final , impassioned appeal , calling the drone by its Human name : Annika . The Doctor frantically tells Torres the link is dropping . But Torres is ready . She initiates the power surge she has set up . On the bridge , Seven of Nine suddenly stands ramrod - straight , a vacant , paralysed expression on its face . The look is replaced by one of sheer agony as it cries out in excruciating pain . It raises a hand to the back of its head as an implant located there sparks with a bright light , overloaded and destroyed by Torres ' power surge . It finally sinks down and slumps over the helm console , unconscious . In cargo bay 2 , the neural transceiver on Chakotay ' s neck also sparks , as he gives a short , strangled scream and falls into the same state . Janeway stares down at the disabled drone . Tuvok reports that its link to the Collective is severed . Janeway orders him to take it to sickbay . He lifts it and heads for the turbolift . Janeway hails The Doctor and orders a report on Chakotay ' s condition . He responds that Chakotay will be fine , though he may wake up with a bit of a headache . Relieved , Janeway orders Paris to remove them from Borg space at maximum warp . Janeway is once again in her holodeck simulation , writing with a quill pen on paper . Chakotay enters . She tells him she is writing her log , the old - fashioned way . He gives her a report on the ship ' s condition , telling her it will take at least two weeks to remove all of the Borg modifications . She asks about their passenger . Chakotay responds that The Doctor says it is stabilizing and its Human cells are regenerating . Janeway wonders if the Human female can be recovered from beneath the Borg technology . Realizing that she plans to keep it aboard , Chakotay cautions her on the wisdom of that ; she was assimilated at a young age , he tells her . The Collective is all she knows ; she may want to return to it . Janeway believes she might not ; they can offer her friendship , something the Borg could never do . Chakotay moves to another , more difficult subject . He tells her disobeying her was one of the hardest choices he has ever had to make . She assures him she understands and respects his decision , though she does not agree with it . What is important , she stresses , is that they got through it together in the end . She does not want that to change , ever . He agrees . Together they leave the holodeck to return to the bridge . In sickbay , on a bio - bed , the now - " former " Borg drone Seven of Nine lies unconscious , her link to the collective permanently severed . There is already a tinge of normal Caucasian skin tone beneath the usual drone ' s mottled Borg - gray as the physiology of the Human , Annika , begins to reassert itself . Only time will tell how much Annika ' s Humanity can emerge from the living death that was her existence for the last eighteen years . Memorable quotes . " " Don ' t worry . I ' ll delete myself at the first sign of trouble . Well , maybe not the " first " sign . " " " " I never thought I ' d hear myself say this , but it looks like the Borg are cooperating . " " " " You still have a tendril up your nose . " " " " I speak for the Borg . " " " " Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One . But you may call me Seven of Nine . " " " " Do you have a better idea ? " " " " We are Borg ! " " " " I take that as a " Yes " . " " " " We have an alliance , do we not ? " " " " Species 8472 has penetrated matrix 010 grid 19 ; eight planets destroyed , 312 vessels disabled , four million Borg eliminated . We must seize control of the Alpha Quadrant vessel and take it into the alien realm . " " " " What ' s the matter ? Our galaxy wasn ' t big enough for you ? You had to conquer new territory ? " " " " Bridge to Chakotay : Scorpion ! " " " " When your captain first approached us , we suspected that an agreement with Humans would prove impossible to maintain . You are erratic , conflicted , disorganized . Every decision is debated , every action questioned , every individual entitled to their own " small " opinion . You lack harmony ; cohesion ; greatness . It will be your undoing . " " " " " It will be your undoing . " " " " " What ? " " " " Our conflictive nature , our individuality . Seven of Nine said that we lacked the cohesion of a collective mind . That one day it would divide us and destroy us . And here we are proving her point . " " " " I ' ll tell you when we lost control of the situation , when we made our mistake . It was the moment we turned away of each other . We don ' t have to stop being individuals to get through this . We just have to stop fighting each other . " " " " There are two wars going on , the one out there and the one in here and we ' re losing both of them . " " " " They ' ll push you . They ' ll threaten you but they need you . They need this alliance " " " " This is the plan . We engage the enemy here , in their space . We show them what they ' re up against . If they have any sense of self - preservation they ' ll back off . Pull their ships out of the Delta Quadrant . " " " " Are you willing to risk a direct confrontation with us ? " " " " If we were able to transport five hundred drones onto your vessel , do you believe you could offer sufficient resistance ? " " < br > " " We ' d die trying . " " < br > " " That won ' t be necessary . " " " " We ' re going to war . " " " " The Borg female steps out of her alcove and through the vapor . . . for the first time we get a clear look at her . She is young , striking , covered with Borg technology , but clearly once human . " Background information . Story and script . " " Her demeanor is cold and passionless – even though she speaks in an individual voice , she is still connected to the hive mind . ( NOTE : This is a character we will come to know as SEVEN OF NINE . ) " " " She eyes Janeway and Tuvok with an impassive stare . " " ( " " ) Links and references . References . Alpha Quadrant ; argon ; assimilation ; battle stations ; bio - molecular warhead ; Borg ; Borg Collective ; Borg cube ; Borg drone ; brig ; cargo bay ; carotid artery ; compression phaser rifle ; compression wave ; Deflector Control ; deflector dish ; Delta Quadrant ; evasive maneuvers ; explosive decompression ; fluidic space ; internal bleeding ; isoton ; Leonardo da Vinci ' s workshop ; Locutus of Borg ; medical tricorder ; Milky Way Galaxy ; multi - kinetic neutronic mine ; nanoprobe ; neural link ; neural transceiver ; oxygen ; phaser rifle ; ; power coupling ; power surge ; red alert ; singularity ; Species 8472 ; Species 8472 bio - ship ; telepathy ; tricorder ; Unimatrix 01