DEV BUILD (branch: master) - NOT FOR PUBLIC USE
 

Check out our latest Fleet Action!

Learn More
 

Part of USS Resolute: Required Compliance and Bravo Fleet: We Are the Borg

View Mission

8 – Stuck in the middle with you

USS Resolute
2401
0 likes 410 views

The drone’s dispassionate gaze swept over the bridge, then settled on RJ. 

“I am Two of…” he paused, frowned, then shook his head. The lights in the implants on the side of his face flickered. “Doctor Two… no… Twelve. I am Two of twelve. Lower your shields and surrender your records… your biological and technological distinctiveness will be analysed.”

“Which is it… Doctor? Or two?” 

RJ held position, his expression unchanging. He’d seen Borg drones, both during Frontier day and the more traditional drones in the holodeck training programs he’d put himself through so that if he ever hit a situation like this, then he wouldn’t freeze immediately. 

“Two of Twelve,” the old drone replied in a clipped voice. “Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

RJ smiled. O… kay, either he’d slipped into a parallel reality where borg drones all sounded like they were on the verge of inviting him for high tea in the vicar’s parlor or… this guy wasn’t a drone. 

He looked like a drone. Implants, check. Mottled grey skin, not check. 

His skin was a little pale, but if RJ didn’t miss his guess, it was the papery, crepey skin of advanced old age rather than drone pale. 

“I’m Captain Reese-Riggs, of the USS Resolute,” he replied. “And the pleasure is all mine. May I ask,” he carried on, since there was no harm while they were all being pleasant. “Why you want us to surrender our records?”

Instead of just beaming aboard and trying to assimilate the whole crew, for example.

That little speech was different to the normal borg spiel as well. Usually it was all ‘assimilate, assimilate, assimilate’… not a request to see records. Someone moved in the background behind two. RJ blinked. For a moment there he could swear that looked like—

He shook his head. No, that couldn’t have been what he thought it was.

“We will analyse your records,” Two continued. “And ensure you and your crew are in compliance.”

“Compliance?” That did break RJ’s poker face for a second before he managed to get it under control, crossing his arms over his chest. His uniform was getting a bit too tight, he’d have to calm it down in the gym a little. Not like he was trying to compete with Mason in the muscle-bound stakes. “Compliance in what way?”

Two didn’t answer him, a look of irritation crossing over his face. “That is not relevant,” he snapped. “You have one hour to comply.”

The comm cut off abruptly, leaving him looking at a blank screen, then, a second later, a view of the system and and RJ rubbed his hand over his face tiredly. Yeah, that had definitely been a sink plunger in the background. He knew the borg scavenged a lot of parts, but using cleaning supplies was taking it a little too far.

“Okay,” he said to the bridge as a whole. “Did anyone else think that was as weird as fuck? I’m going to need the senior staff in the briefing room and someone get me Thane on that ship!”

Comments

  • FrameProfile Photo
    Andreus Kohl

    RJ really does fit in on the Resolute, doesn't he? There's something masochistically twisted about running Borg drills on the holodeck as a form of aversion-therapy to change his reaction. And at the same time, it looks like it paid off! I appreciated how this specific mission is giving you an opportunity to highlight both the past and the present of our new captain. I'm enjoying this puzzle box you're creating overall. I'm equally baffled by Two of Twelve's strange reticence over being truly Borg or not, and the demand for analysis and compliance. "That is not relevant" indeed! I truly can't think of a better time for a senior staff meeting. Compliance can't be good, right?

    November 16, 2023
  • FrameProfile Photo
    Keith Anderson

    Well... A compliance Inspection is slightly less terrifying than an assimilation, but... only by a little bit lol. There's so much to like about this post. The confusion of what exactly is happening and who these borg are, the lingering concern and worry, and the general humorous tone are all wonderful elements. I love it haha. Write more!

    November 16, 2023
  • FrameProfile Photo
    Azras Dex

    Things seem to get weirder and weirder, never thought I saw a Borg drone that really didn't look like a normal drone, and instead of assimulating they want records. He couldn't quite get his name correctly, something weird is happening and hopefully, they will figure it out and hopefully set things right before things go from weird to possibly bad. Great job at creating a story that is compelling and mysterious.

    November 25, 2023

Load Time: 0.46 seconds

Total SQL Queries: 74

2 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (93636) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_name = '93636' AND wp_posts.post_type = 'story' ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (18317) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '10' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (88709) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 88709 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (15032) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '1849' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 15032 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (18633) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '1849' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (141086) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 141086 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (47905) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '2374' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 47905 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (47074) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 23619 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '10' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (23619) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (140618,140922) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT ID, post_name, post_parent, post_type FROM wp_posts WHERE post_name IN ('donate') AND post_type IN ('page','attachment')
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 86412 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 13085 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (122202) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE ID IN (122202)
1 SELECT wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) INNER JOIN wp_postmeta AS mt1 ON ( wp_posts.ID = mt1.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'event_status' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = 'In Progress' ) AND ( mt1.meta_key = 'event_type' AND mt1.meta_value = 'fleet_action' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'events' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_title DESC LIMIT 0, 1
1 SELECT t.*, tt.*, tr.object_id FROM wp_terms AS t INNER JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS tt ON t.term_id = tt.term_id INNER JOIN wp_term_relationships AS tr ON tr.term_taxonomy_id = tt.term_taxonomy_id WHERE tt.taxonomy IN ('group_news_category') AND tr.object_id IN (140618, 140922) ORDER BY t.name ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 140931 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE ID IN (140922,140618)
1 SELECT wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_type = 'group_news' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 2
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (141087) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 141087 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (79514) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (140931) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '2374' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
1 SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_postmeta`
1 UPDATE `wp_postmeta` SET `meta_value` = '410' WHERE `post_id` = 93636 AND `meta_key` = 'views'
1 SELECT user_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE user_id IN (1849) ORDER BY umeta_id ASC
1 SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts INNER JOIN wp_postmeta ON ( wp_posts.ID = wp_postmeta.post_id ) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ( wp_postmeta.meta_key = 'member_user' AND wp_postmeta.meta_value = '0' ) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'member' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish')) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 65466 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 90692 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (91365) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT user_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE user_id IN (10) ORDER BY umeta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE ID = '10' LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE ID = '1849' LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 17565 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT user_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE user_id IN (2374) ORDER BY umeta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE ID = '2374' LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 91365 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 79514 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT user_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE user_id IN (2080) ORDER BY umeta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_users WHERE ID = '2080' LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (65466) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 129433 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT meta_id FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'views' AND post_id = 93636
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 71504 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 116 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT post_id, meta_key, meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE post_id IN (1829) ORDER BY meta_id ASC
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 1829 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 137719 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 131107 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 75432 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 65753 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 19852 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 77382 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 67623 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 71502 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 65752 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 77378 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 65751 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 67330 LIMIT 1
1 SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE ID = 12371 LIMIT 1