I went with Tom and Neelix to the trading colony. To be honest, it remind me of Mos Eisley, but their goods are good.
Before we left I spent a bunch of replicator rations on human artifacts. Primitive stuff, like stylish drinking glasses and plates.
Stuff that should sell well, especially to people who don't have replicators.
My main goal is to acquire matter to feed to the replicators. While the main ingredient they use is energy, they still need matter to actually build the object. Its not a energy/matter conversion.
They do however don't care where the protons, neutrons and electrons come from.
I'm on my way back to the shuttle with a hovercart with two hundred kilos of lead on it. Ten kilos spent on cutlery earned me over twenty times as much in mass in solid lead. While most of the 'replicator rations' consist of energy, about 30% of it is the matter needed. This should stretch my rations nicely for a good long time.
Neelix and Tom are already by a shuttle with a stranger "Neelix, Tom." I greet them as I get closer
"See you have some trading done on your own. We should still have some room but it will be a tight squeeze." Tom comment after the greetings and I nod
"We should. Who is your friend?" I ask before starting to load the lead bars into the shuttle and Neelix speak up
"This is Arturis. He helped us translate with the trader when the universal translator broke down. We where thinking we could give him a ride to the next system in return."
I glance at Arturis who are staring at my mechadendrites "If you have cleared it with the Captain, I see no problem with this. Just remember the new security protocols."
Arturis blink "Security protocols?" and I nod
"Implemented just a few months ago. All temporary visitors are to be accompanied by at least two members of security at all times unless they are in their assigned quarters."
On the way back to the ship I catch him looking at the mechanical limbs once again "Yes?" I ask and he frown slightly
"Where you Borg?" and I shake my head
"No. My alterations are voluntary and a ongoing process." as he look at me before shaking his head
"I cant understand how somebody could do something like that to themselves."
I give him a smile "I can't understand why somebody wouldn't."
Once back on the ship things go similar to what I remember. He talk to Janeway, translate the message and we locate the ship.
I'm on the bridge as we slowly get closer and I frown slightly "Captain...may I talk to you for a moment?"
She glance back at me for a second before nodding "My readyroom." and walk out as I follow her. As the doors close I sigh softly
"This smell...fishy." and she lean against her desk
"I agree. Something feel to good to be true...but..." and I shrug
"When you get a gift horse, look into its mouth, it might contain greeks. I'm telling you Captain, this trigger my trap senses just as strongly as Seska. What are the odds that we would not only run into the only alien that can decode the message, on his first try mind you, but also that the ship would be within days of his location? Also, while I have generally found starfleet of being rather naive, sending extremely advanced starship, on its own, into the delta quadrant, without a crew on the HOPE that we would locate it is worse than even they would do."
She sigh and slowly nod "I see your point. What do you think about returning to Earth?" and I blink
"Honestly? Gaining the resources of The Federation as well as possibly finding others with the philosophy as me? Looking forward to it. I know Seven is hesitant, but I'm not Borg, Captain. I do however keep my objectivity, something the crew have a hard thing to do when it come to getting back to Earth. While I am from earth, its not your Earth. I know I will never get home."
Frowning she nod "Suggestions?" and I hmmm "The basics? Lock Arturis in his quarters and do a complete deep scan of the 'federation' vessel. If it turn out its not a trap we can always apologize and recompensate him at a later time."
Janeway nod and stand back up straight "That do seem like the best course of action, don't it?"
Arturis however didn't agree. The moment he was positive he wouldn't get a chance to Capture the crew and send them to the Borg, he flipped out. Apparently destroying Voyager where also Ok on his list as he pulled out some device and beamed over to the Dauntless before turning it to attack Voyager.
The fight was hard, his ship more advanced but not as heavily armed as voyager. The energy distributing armor worked like a charm though, greatly reducing the damage of his energy weapons. In the end his core went and his ship blew up.
Note to self, install transporter inhibitors at all guestquarters. At the very least we have over six hours of scans of the vessel before he realized his cover would be blown before we moved to the other ship.
At least nobody but him died...and he was saved the faith of becoming a drone in this timeline.
AN// About Sevens implant shutting down due to emotions, that's one of the episodes that get hit by the banhammer due to being 'to' stupid. Not only do it go against earlier things in the series, but its also idiotic by the Borg. Why would they care if a drone that's lost connection feel emotions? It can still be re assimilated just as easily as any other individual.