I keep my breathing slow and shallow as I try not to move, relaxing beneath the pile of leafs and branches covering the dugout. As I listen carefully for the hunters I think back on the last couple of weeks.
I'm still unsure on how the hirogen captured voyager, but when they did they found me in the brig. They seemed to think my cybernetics made me a interesting prey.
Next time I woke up I was in a Jungle. I was hunted down an 'killed' in only hours. Next time I woke up I was in a different forest, but this time things had changed.
My mechadendrites had been replaced with thicker, longer more powerful versions, the manipulators and tools replaced with four 30 centimeter blades on each one. They must had replaced the connections on my body as well as the new artificial limbs are as thick as my arm instead of simply four centimeter like the old ones. Each one regained the optical sensors.
Turned out they are also much stronger. I can easily lift myself with even just one of them.
This time I put up a better fight and lasted almost six hours, even managing to harm one of them.
I do not know what they are doing with the rest of the crew at this point other than my memories of the show. But they didn't put me in those simulations, nor did I get the implant connecting me to a character on the holodeck.
No, instead every few kills I woke up with something new. New mechadendrites, borg shield generator, increased hearing...I suspect someone did something to my muscles one of the times as well.
After I woke up the eight time I felt stronger and faster than before...I lasted almost a day that time and managed to kill one of them via a ambush. That's when I made my mistake.
They always hunted in pairs so I grabbed the energy weapon of the one I killed and turned it on his partner. Next thing I know is a extreme pain before waking up in a desert, this time with almost my entire right arm replaces by a dark skeleton like version. Those fuckers set their weapons so they can only be used by them or they blow up.
That's five 'deaths' ago and I have no idea how long it's actually been.
This time when I woke up things looked different. I had been fitted with a borg ocular implant on my left eye, likely savaged from one of the dead borg, just like the shield generator.
But more importantly, I had a message from the Doctor scrolling along the bottom of the viewfield.
It's been almost three weeks since the attack and they are indeed forcing the rest of the crew to fight in the simulations. Me on the other side is a side project to keep the malcontents about the 'games' happy.
I'm the ultimate prey. One that next time they fight me, have gotten stronger.
But no more. This time I'm the hunter.
I carefully control my breathing as I hear careful footsteps, two of them. I carefully shift the mechadendrite I kept above ground, hidden in the bush to try and catch a look at them. They are slowly moving into position to spring my trap. I recognize one of them, he have killed me twice before. The second one is new and isn't moving as careful as the first one.
They are always in position...now!
I release the vine I was holding tight in my artificial hand, letting the counterweight go. They both snap towards the sound, opening fire as a big log swing towards them from the right. The newb is hit hard in the chest while the second one dodge...right into my the path of my mechadendrites as they burst from the dirt, the blades spinning up like weed wackers.
His head go spinning and I throw myself from the pit, propelled by the artificial limbs, smacking the rifle away from the hands of the newb as I dig the claws of a mechadendrite into the ground for leverage as I lash out with the right one, stabbing straight through his stomach armor, pinning him to the tree behind him.
He lot out a load scream of pain and claw at the metal limb as I grab his throat with my new right hand, remaining free mechanical limb catching his arms against his chest as I lean in "Ask the computer for a exit."
Glaring at me he growls "Prey should know thei..." and thats as far as he get as I twist the blade in his gut
"Ask the computer for a exit or I will see how long I can keep you alive...prey."
I can see he try not to pass out before gasping out "C-Computer...E-exit!". I glance to the side, seeing the door and control panel appear with a small smile "Good prey." Then I slash his throat and throw him to the side before stalking over to the exit.
They didn't even lock the controls, just limit the voice print. A few quick changes and the Jungle is gone, leaving a empty holodeck and a group of second world war soldiers.
I turn to them "OK, listen up! The Nazis are going to storm this position at any moment. Set up defensive positions and kill anything that come in through that door!"
As I move to the back of the holodeck they start getting to position with cries of "YES SIR!". I wish I didnt spend the time in the brig or I might had time to get started on that Space Hulk program I had been sketching on. Hirogen, Meet the Blood Ravens.
I shake the thoughts from my head as I start a manual override on the wall with the combat mechadendrites to access the Jefferies tubes behind it. During my 'training' I spent enough time in them to know where they are across the entire ship.
The crawl through them was slow and cramped. Keeping my metal limbs from hitting anything and creating noise that could be detected make it much slower than normal but a hour later I reached my destination.
Transporter room 2.
I carefully peak out and see a hirogen standing by the console, his back to the hatch. Carefully I push the hatch open, sliding a mechadendrite out towards him as I line the blades forward. A quick stab at the back of the neck and he drop like a two hundred kilo sack of potatoes.
Once again the controls wasn't even locked. Running a quick scan I detect six ships around voyagers, their hulls reflecting any further scans. Internal scans show hirogen life signs all over the ship, 82 in total. All others are limited to holodecks, a few quarters, medical as well as the lockup.
I frown slightly. Beaming them into space wouldnt work. Their suits can keep them alive there and their ships would notice it. So instead...
Hmming softly I do a quick check of the ships schematic before starting to lock on to hirogen lifesigns, beaming them ten at a time into a two man bunk room at deck 12. Having ten square meters of floor area normally, it also have furniture like beds and desks, cutting it down to a total of five square meters.
I start to quickly beam them into the small room, ten at a time, starting with the bridge, engineering and then areas close to the transporter room, working from there.
As soon as I'm finished I make my way down to sickbay. I need to free the rest of the crew and the Doctor's message say the control for their implants are located there...and somebody need to let the Doctor know that the ship is clear of hirogen.
The door is locked so I slam a couple of blades between them and force them open, ending up face to face with The Doctor "Hiver! You are alive...the hirogen beamed out? What happened?"
Despite the poking at my consciousness from killing so many sapient, even hostile ones, I cant give that kind of opportunity up "I'm afraid they couldn't handle the pressure, Doctor. Let's free the others. We still have the hirogen ships to deal with and I have no training for ship or weapons controls."
AN// If anyone wonder how the new arm look, think Necron Lord.