Operation Assimilation: The Order of Things

Dominion

The Order of Things

2374

The Telapora system

Deep in the Gamma Quadrant, far from the Bajoran Wormhole and the core of Dominion space

Research Facility 42. A highly classified Dominion base built on a lifeless planetoid in an uninhabited and otherwise unimportant system as part of a secret project started the previous year during the buildup for the inevitable war with the Federation. Now 4 months later war raged in the Alpha Quadrant, while the Dominion reinforcements remained stranded in the Gamma Quadrant, the wormholes entrance near Deep Space Nine having been mined by the Federation and their Klingon allies. On this research facility in this distant system far from the wormhole, Dominion scientists toiled away examining the possibility of creating a faster than warp system to get badly needed reinforcements to the alpha quadrant and the front lines, over half a galaxy away. The current research, based in large part on data stolen from captured Federation ships, involved using tachyon pulses of alternating frequencies to open a tunnel through subspace. Due to the current situation the project had been given the highest priority.

At one of the austere labs consoles a Vorta scientist turned to one of his colleagues "how much longer until the emitter is online?" The colleague, a female Vorta named Calas looked up from her own console "10 minutes. Then we can try to create a tunnel". Inek the male Vorta nodded in acknowledgement "excellent. I will inform the founder". The combination of Jem’Hadar engineers (not the most talented) and slave labor had unsurprising slowed the research down, at least as far as fabrication went, but the project was, to Inek’s relief, still on schedule. Seeing an indicator flash on his eyepiece display he grimaced. The Founder. "What does he want?" As the beige-robed smooth featured humanoid form of the founder appeared on his display Inek nodded respectfully "Founder." Nodding back the founder began "Inek. How soon until we can make another attempt?" "About 5 minutes" Inek responded checking his console "The emitter is powering up now." "Good" the founder replied "If we can maintain a stable tunnel, I'll send one ship in to scout it and determine the exit vector." "Understood" Inek replied, then getting a nod from Calas he added "Calas informs me that the emitter is ready." The Founder smiled "then by all means..." Working his board as Calas worked hers Inek nodded "Emitter powering up, beginning first tachyon pulse." As the pulse shot outward from the planetoid into the darkness of space Calas reported "first pulse successful, beginning second pulse." Inek nodded "alternating frequencies..." After a few minutes the comingled energies from the two pulses began to form an opening, dark and ominous in the fabric of space. Calas reported "tunnel is opening... reading verteron emanations, secondary tunneling particles." "Is it stable enough to send a ship through?" the founder asked expectantly. Inek scanned his consoles "it...should be..." he honestly had no idea, but telling a Founder of the Dominion that you don't know would he knew be both imprudent and foolish. "Tachyons are leveling off" Calas reported, "we may be able to discontinue the pulses soon." Checking his own readings Inek nodded "yes, go ahead and discontinue both pulses. That should be enough for now." As the pulses ceased the Founder turned to Nyrem and Irak'yelan the Vorta and Jem’Hadar first on the cruiser "Send one of the scout ships into the tunnel, have them determine the exit vector and report back as quickly as possible." Nodding Nyrem turned to the first "Irak'yelan?" Irak'yelan nodded "immediately." Inwardly the First smiled at the efficiency of Dominion operations. The Founder commands the Vorta, the Vorta commands the Jem’Hadar First, and the First commands his men. As the Jem’Hadar mantra goes: it is the order of the things. A few moments later one of the six scout ships in orbit broke away from the planetoid and made a beeline for the tunnel. Watching from his eyepiece viewer Irak'yelan nodded "they are entering the tunnel now."

As the insect-like ship disappeared into the tunnel the Founder turned to the First and the Vorta "now... we wait." Nyrem nodded "hopefully they won’t be gone too long, and hopefully when they get back they'll have good news to report." "Agreed" the Founder responded "this project could use some good news right-" Suddenly an alarm sounded at the central console and one of the Jem’Hadar reported "An energy reading from the tunnel... a vessel is coming through." As all on the bridge watched either on eyepiece viewers or on their consoles the scout ship that minutes before had entered the tunnel reappeared racing at full speed away from the opening. Mere seconds behind it a Borg cube appeared, its menacing grey black monolithic form speckled with points of green light. From the planet side facility Inek reported "Our tunnel must've intersected with a borg transwarp conduit! We've got to collapse that tunnel." As he and Calas bent to their consoles the Founder and Nyrem watched as the Borg cube effortlessly picked off the scout ship and its five brethren surrounding the planetoid in the space of mere moments. Nyrem punched his console "They're going after the facility!" Suddenly the collective voice boomed over the communication system “WE ARE THE BORG. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.” Ignoring the threat he turned to the First "Irak'yelan, move us into an attack vector, 227 by-" the founder cut him off "No. You can’t fight that with this ship. Prepare a ramming course, full speed." Irak'yelan was aghast at the order, but he knew better than to question the Founder or even his Vorta, who was now agreeing with the Founders plan. The order of things. Working his console as the ship shook beneath him from the assault of the Borgs energy weapons he nodded "course ready." Not even taking a moment to glance at the founder Nyrem nodded once "execute." A moment later the Jem’Hadar cruiser accelerated to maximum warp, ramming the face of the borg cube, incinerating the cruiser and with it Nyrem, the Founder and all 700 Jem Hadar on board.

Planetside Calas and Inek watched the images from their eyepiece viewers in shock as the cruisers explosive death subsided and the Borg Cube, although now with a sizeable rent in its visible face loomed closer. And closer. Looking up from her console Calas announced "the tunnel’s closed. It looks like it collapsed in on itself." One small bit of good news. As the ground beneath the lab shook Inek checked his board "tractor beam. They're pulling the entire facility in!" The voice of the collective boomed over the labs communication system "YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISTICTIVENESS WILL BE ADDED TO OUR OWN." Ignoring the message and bracing themselves against the shaking as the pressurized facility rose out of the ground toward the Borg cube Calas and Inek watched as transporter beams materialized into Borg drones around the now powerless and darkened lab. As the facility was pulled through a massive hatch into the interior of the Borg cube the last thing the two Vorta felt was the metallic sting of assimilation tubules piercing their skin. Leaving only a large crater in the surface of the planetoid and a scattering of debris in orbit the Borg cube retreated out of the Telapora system and disappeared into a transwarp conduit, the damage from the collision with the Dominion cruiser already being repaired. In their haste to complete their project the Dominion had inadvertently attracted the attention of a Borg ship. For that they had paid the price. They had fought valiantly, sacrificing their ships and soldiers there to the last one. In the end the Borg had prevailed. The Dominions resistance had in the end proven, like all those before them, futile. Where the Collective was concerned, it was the order of things.