“…ale” bzzzz…zzztttt…..”Ad……Greendale”….bzzzzz….zzzzztttzzzzz…”Admiral Greendale Respond!”
Dean Greendale, the Liberated Borg formerly known as Eight of Ten. Just had his ship pulled into a portal that suddenly opened in front of his and another ship pulling him into an unknown realm. His ears feels like they were about the size of his hands. He looked up and felt shivers of fear as he was surrounded by monstrous creatures.
He bolted and ran, but his stride felt short than his usual stride. He turned back only to be smacked in his eye by a large leathery flap.
"Damn leaves!" He brushed it aside and once his vision was unobstructed he saw the creatures chasing him.
He tapped his combadge.
“This is Greendale, I’m being chased by creatures please beam me up as soon as possible!”
“Greendale! Thank God!” he recognize the voice, it was Admiral Marojin Aikune and for a moment breathed a sigh of relief but that was shortly lived, “That’s not possible, transporters can’t break through the interference of the portal. Make your way due north and find a floating stone. Then jump into its light field.”
He didn’t have to figure out where north was he saw the floating stone and started running towards it. He was relieved to hear the voice of his oldest friend and former lover. He made a point once this is over he’s going to confess how he really feels about him. For real this time.
“I see it, Heading there now, I’m being chased by a herd of creatures, do you have any information or data about this realm?”
“I’d say it’s about mid-renaissance, technologically moderate, they have mastered flight through airships but sea travel is minimum, I’m not sure why.”
Dean thought for a moment but those creatures were still chasing him, and those damn leathery leaves kept smacking him in his face. He’ll have to study the plants later. He also thought how Aikune’s voice sounded leafy, not unpleasant just odd.
The more they talked, the more he’s reminded about his early days after he was severed from the collective. How Aikune’s voice became they only voice he heard because of his already heightened Betazed telepathic abilities was further enhanced by experimental technologies. He heard stories from other Liberated Borg how their severing was agonizing, but Aikune made his separation from the collective bearable and even enjoyable. He’s definitely going to tell him how he feels.
Suddenly a large canine looking creature leaped out at him. He paused but the creatures chasing him kept coming at him and the creature in front of him kept running towards him. Just as the canine was upon him, one of the creatures chasing him slammed into it sending it tumbling down. Other smaller creatures that was chasing him swarmed the canine and once it was sufficiently covered, the tiny creatures exploded sending shrapnel of bone deep into the canine’s body. It staggered and died moments later.
The creatures that was moments ago were his rescuer now turned towards him. Even the tiny ones that just exploded reconstituted themselves and now were circling around him. He can see the floating stone and he and he was very close to it, but these…things that looked like flesh and bone were between him and his target. He saw his reflection in one of the creature’s “eye” and gasped, he didn’t look like himself.
In a flash more of the canine looking creatures rushed him, this time, they were with humanoids that looked like they were made of plants, verdant and purple in appearance. And now that he look at them the canines also look like they were plants. The creatures that surrounded him took a defensive position around him. As if they were shielding him…no they were shielding him.
For an instant his mind connected with one of the creatures, it was another liberated Borg on his task force, this one from the Romulan Republic, Izanagi. As the plant creatures attacked, his defenders assaulted and cut a path between himself and the floating stone. Dean took a chance and rushed. One of the plant creature broke off pointed at Dean, moments later vines launched at him and pierced two of the defending creature that rushed to block it. Right before he made it he felt one of the vines hit him. Then a flash of light.
Moments later, he saw another plant humanoid, the face looked familiar, but he still panicked.
“Calm down Dean!”
The voice sounded very familiar, if leafier.
“Welcome to Tarir, let get you acclimated”
To Be Continued …
