=/\=

THE KIDS flew threw the halls, the Borgs hot on their trial. They turned a million corners, trying to lose them. Soon another team of drones had discovered them and they had to out run them.

"I can’t run anymore!" Anna yelled.

"Just a little further!" Blake yelled back. He grabbed Anna’s wrist and pulled her around a corner. "I’m sure it’ll just be a little bit more before Voyager will find us!" A group of drones were came down the hallway in the opposite direction, and they swerved down another narrow passageway.

"We have to find a place to hide," Naomi panted. "Harry will never be able to get a lock on us if we keep moving." The hallway was clear, and they hid behind a corner as the group of drones passed them.

"We don’t even know if Harry will be able to find us," Andy spoke up. "Mom and Seven might not have been able to get through the shielding."

"We’ve been done here for at least a day," Emily replied. "They have got to have found something!". They were all panting from running through the halls, and Anna was crouching next to the wall, her head leaning against it.

"I…am…so tired," she whispered. Natalie bent down concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Natalie felt her forehead. Anna nodded slowly than changed her mind and shook her head. "What’s wrong". Anna tried to catch her breath and moved her forearm so it was facing Natalie. The area had turned gray and there were dark lines running underneath the area.

"Anna…" Natalie said cautiously.

"I think the Doctor’s medications run out," Anna whispered. "I can feel it, in me." She cringed and as she hung her head, Seth spotted another gray patch on the nape of her neck. He ran his finger on it, and as he lifted his finger up, a small nanoprobe shot out.

"We have got to get her to Voyager now," Seth said. "I don’t think she has much time before these nanoprobes fully activate." Blake and Seth helped Anna up.

"Oh…I think I’m gonna die," she moaned. She leaned her head on Blake’s shoulder.

"Hang in there, Anna," Natalie soothed. "We’re not letting you go." She turned to Naomi. "What are we going to do? We don’t have much time before the nanoprobes take over." Naomi shrugged.

"I don’t know," she whispered back. "I really expected Harry to get through the interference. Something must be holding them back. Perhaps they’re under attack."

=/\=

USS Voyager was not under attack, but the sensors were failing them. Harry was having a hard time compensating for the modulating shielding that had activated over the structure. He knew he didn’t have much more time before he would completely lose the signal.

"Why can’t you just transport them now?" Janeway asked, rather impatiently.

"I could lose their signal at any moment," he responded matter-a-factly. He paused. "All right, I’ll try a direct beam-out. Transporting initiated." The transport was initiated on the planet and though Harry almost lost their signal, the eight were successfully transported to the transporter room. "We have them, Captain". Everyone sighed with relief.

"Get us out of here, Tom," Janeway ordered. "Warp 7. Engage."

Natalie called a Medical Emergency transport to sickbay. The Doctor was able to stabilize Anna’s condition using the same treatment as before. Seven of Nine and Harry entered sickbay concerned, but the Doctor assured them that with the proper rest and treatments Anna would be as good as new. Noah was also examined for any traces of active nanoprobes, but his treatment seemed to have served him well. The other six were also examined and treated, but mainly it was the usual bumps and bruises. Afterwards, the eight were sent to Janeway’s ready room, where they faced their reprimand.

Janeway stood there, motionless, staring at the group long and hard, making them feel as if they were about two inches tall.

"I’d give you a long lecture on Away Mission protocals," she started, the kids cringing in expectation. "If I weren’t so damn proud of you." Janeway smiled. "Just don’t ever do that again." They all sighed with relief.

"We are so sorry, Mom," Natalie said. "It’s just, Blake saw something, we wandered over, and before we knew it we were surrounded by Borgs." Blake nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, and there was like no where to go, too," Blake added.

"But luckily Naomi and Natalie were able to crawl out of our cell," Emily joined in.

"We were almost able to send a message, but they caught us," Naomi piped in. "Then the Borg almost caught us. But we escaped and we were able to send the SOS message."

"Naomi and Natalie finally returned, too," Seth added. "And they got us out and we had to run from the Borg."

"And then Anna started sprouting these Borg implants," Noah said. "And we thought she was going to die."

"I was not going to die," Anna replied.

"But luckily Harry transported us out and the Doctor saved her," Andy concluded. Janeway laughed.

"Well, I should punish you severely for wandering off and then getting held hostage," she said, more calmly. "But since this is your first offence on an Away Mission, I’ll let it slide. Consider this a warning.

"Yes ma’am," they said in unison.

"Dismissed." The eight marched out, in a line, smiles plastered across their faces. They had survived their first harrowing mission. Now, it was time for Calculus.

=/\=

Transport to: Table of Contents | Chapter One