| The Next Generation | |
| 75 | |
| The Best of Both Worlds (Part II) | |
| 44001.4 | |
Continued from last time...
The deflector overload attack didn't work. Didn't even scratch the surface. Bit of a disappointment really. Why, after all the buildup and Riker's assertiveness are we let down? Picard! Yes, the captain's knowledge has sold the Federation out. A fitting end really. The Enterprise is so damaged that it has to give up the chase and can't continue.
Admiral Hanson has given Picard up as a casulaty of war, and Riker is field promoted to Captain and given the command of the Enterprise. Now we know why he didn't take the command of the Melbourne. I've heard that killing your superiors for promotion used to be common, but it seems that practise is with us at least to the 24th century.
Captain Riker, now that his ego has been stretched to breaking point, likens himself in his early days to Shelby, who wants to be made 2IC. Now I know one of the requirements for StarShip Captain: you have to be able to going into meaningless diatribe at the drop of a hat. It seems that Riker has this one down pat already. At a staff meeting, Riker passes over Worf and Geordi and promotes Shelby to 2IC and full Commander. I suppose she does have the best body, but there really wasn't much competition was there?
The Enterprise reaches Wolf-359 to a scene of a starship graveyard. There are destroyed hulks littering the sky. You would think that the Borg would have had the good graces to clean their mess up after themselves. One of the ships is the Melbourne. Damn! If Riker hadn't been so supercilious he would have had command of it and we would be rid of him.
Riker orders preparation to separate the saucer section and has a special mission for Data and Worf. He also wants to talk to Locutus to discuss terms. In the past Rikers negotiation has been ok, but on this occasion it gets nowhere and combat commences. Using the Riker-Maneuver he manages to dodge most of the incoming attacks and Data and Worf leave the saucer section in a shuttle bound for the Borg ship. They manage to get inside the Borg's EM shield, beam in, grab Picard/Locutus, and beam back. Having lost their mouthpiece the Borg recommence their journey to Earth.
Locutus doesn't seem really phased at being snatched, and Bev can't do anything for him. She can't separate the man from the machine. Well there's a deep metaphysical line. Incompetance probably also covers it. Data tries the machine version of a Vulcan mind meld, and although he can get in, he can't really do anything once he gets there.
Riker, in a fit of lawful pique, orders the Enterprise on a ramming course with the Borg ship, and prepares to go to warp in the vain hope that this will destroy them rather than have Earth levelled. That's a truely career advancing move - but it is dramatic! Wait! Data has managed with the help of Picard to send all the Borg to sleep. This malfunction causes the Borg ship to self-destruct and the Earth is saved.
Picard has his cyberware removed and is reinstated as captain. Shelby leaves, Riker stays, and Picard ponders - he remembers everthing.
