AAR: Cotopaxi Investigation Follow-up (Lost and Found)

Subspace Network Reports
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Stardate: 91506.2Cotopaxi Investigation Follow-upSubmitted: LT Corerra


As task group was enroute to Pariah-8 to resume retracing the Cotopaxi's flight plan, DS13 main ops received a formal request from Satellite Monitoring ops. The beacon left to monitor the ancient derelict discovered previously had stopped transmitting.

As the task group was conveniently already on its way to Pariah and had not yet passed the derelict's last known location, they were detoured briefly to investigate. Upon arrival, task group vessels immediately noticed the anomalous presence of a small runabout, located close to the blacked-out beacon. Assessment of the situation presented the following facts:

1 - the runabout was identified as the USS Cotopaxi, though scans showed it to partially assimilated by rather deteriorated Borg technology.
2 - one Borg lifesign was identified on the beacon.
3 - three Borg lifesigns were identified as present on the derelict craft, which otherwise appeared to be unchanged from when it was found.

After prolonged discussion, the U.S.S. Asura was tasked with beaming aboard the four individual Borg lifesigns, as well as taking on the partially assimilated Cotopaxi shuttle. Multiple officers felt it would be imprudent to continue leaving the derelict craft unguarded, therefore the S.S. Dhalth was elected to contain and tow the derelict back to DS13. The Federation beacon was destroyed.

Using data gathered from the Cotopaxi's computers and parsing its warp trail led the task group to the conclusion that the Cotopaxi originated from the ninth planet in the system, Nint'a. Task group proceeded straight there to discover a small Borg presence, several spheres and probes, all in poor condition and unlikely to be a fighting threat.

Scans also picked up another shuttle flying amongst the Borg vessels, which task group opted to move closer to investigate. Cross-references with registration databases identifies the shuttle as belonging to a public shuttle rental service based out of Drozana. The shuttle was last rented to a group of Starfleet crewmen who were posted to the Pariah Colony on Krikaya.

As all Pariah Colony MIA Personnel have now been accounted for, these investigations will now be closed.

Command will be considering options for dealing with the Pariah 'Cooperative' of Borg and collaborating with colony command. Opinions from the task group that participated in the surveillance may be solicited.

//SIGNED//
LT Corerra
DS13 Operations


Vessels Involved in Action:
U.S.S. Galatea
U.S.S. Asura
U.S.S. San Jacinto
R.R.W. Anarhai
S.S. Dhalth
Ernasot
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Stardate: 91507.5Cotopaxi Investigation Follow-upSubmitted: CDR Ruka Mok Rogh, U.S.S. Asura

To DS13,

I am writing to you and transferring various reports over on the progress of the investigation of the Cotopaxi Investigation. Since we've received the four and the shuttle we've been making steady progress in our various investigations. As Captain Badhand is currently aboard DS13 and our requested proximity for safety requiring ten minute trip at warp nine, while the Paragrine she uses can only go up to warp five, I decided to forward relevant data to command on her behest.

Rather than try to relay and translate each report myself, I will send over the various logs in their unabridged format of the various people in charge of working.

//SIGNED//
CDR Ruka Mok Rogh
U.S.S. Asura

PADD 1
CHIEF ENGINEER'S LOG CDR Fek, U.S.S. Asura
SUBJECT Copaxi Investigation
Unencrypted

Begin Entry... is this thing on?! Yes, No... Oh good, I'll edit that bit out later... 'Ahem'...
Chief Engineer's Log Stardate: 91506.7

My crew and I have been handling the dismantling of the Copa--- No, Cotopaxi, yes, that was it. And we've been salvaging the various bits of technology from it. Now, if I was a betting Ferengi, which I'm not. I'd say the technology itself is somehow damaged. Not fully active. A 'failed' assimilation if you will. The shuttles systems rather than being enhanced were largely damaged, half assimilated bulkheads that were structurally compromised, engine components that had only the most crude and rudimentary takeovers. It was almost as if the technology itself were defunct, or defecting.

We managed to salvage some very crude examples of Borg technology from the craft. Almost like growths literally formed inside and on the shuttle where it couldn't integrate well enough. Given time, and enough energy, I wager this could have been corrected.

The shuttle itself is unrecoverable, once the Borg Parts are stripped away, it would be safer, and more cost effective just to make a new shuttle from scratch. I've already assigned Han Tah Zhan the task of beginning assembly on a replacement shuttle to transfer to Deep Space Thirteen. The only thing worse than no profit, is waste.

Chief Engineer, Fek, signing off.

PADD 2
HEAD OF SCIENCE'S LOG CDR Banes, Kyoza, U.S.S. Asura
SUBJECT Copaxi Investigation
Unencrypted

Head of Science Log, Stardate: 91506.9

I've gotten a sample of the Nanoprobes used in the assimilation of the four crew members being held in the hard brig and have begun analysis on them. Captain Badhand had a hunch, a theory that the aggression of the Borg captives was due to them being from the Mirror Universe. Temperamentally it's plausible. So I ran a quantum analysis on Nanoprobe Samples from the shuttle, and the crewmen we are trying to fix. Fortunately the Quantom Signature disproves this hunch. Which I am thankful for. The thought of even one Mirror Borg in our universe makes me think of many untold and dreadful possibilities. It would be the edge the Borg need to start advancing again and becoming the figments of nightmare they once where at Wolf 359.

My analysis of the Borg components shows that the crew of the Cotopaxi's aggression isn't caused by any directive, or faulty programing, but due to an unstable assimilation. Half of their Borg components install themselves, and fail, and then a backup part is created to compensate, which fails. The result is that they're basically getting repeat commands to assimilate, being stricken with heavy amounts of pain, and kept in a state of mental anguish and stress in essence driving them berserk.

They have been sedated, and the Chief Medical Officer, Thade Dominar Fasan. Is overseeing their conversion back.

PADD 3
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER'S LOG LT. CDR Fasan, Thade D., U.S.S. Asura
SUBJECT The Fate of Mari Michniak, Lyie t'Vriha, Hanaj tr'Tarsen and Lezge
Unencrypted

Chief Medical Officer's Log,
Thade Dominar Fasan Speaking. The Star Date, 91507

When these four were put under my care, I honestly wasn't expecting what I found. The sloppiest assimilation I have ever seen in my long life. Lashing out with a mix of directed aggression, inflicted pain. And connected to each other so they felt every bit of pain the others felt. I quickly have them sedated and they're currently unconscious. When I knocked them out Mari's organs began to fail, but I managed to stabilize her, and to be safe I put the four of them on life support.

These poor bastards, well, I know most people would have just killed them. Or as a 'moralist' might say, 'Let them die'. But, they've only been Borg for the shortest of time, and indeed there are people who were Borg their entire life who rolled into a fully productive and independent life.

When I signed on with Captain Hanabi, I requested the Asura because I was a battlefield medic, and specialized in extreme and sudden trauma caused by the battlefield, and was the most qualified to handle the sort of injuries that would afflict a crew.

I have devised a method to remove the implants, steadily and safely. Using genetic samples, and a quad of Kidney donations from a few crew members. I believe I can have these four stable and un-assimilated in two weeks. One of the Vulcan nurses advised I forbid the use of telepathy on my patients, as their cognitive instability would most certainly result in permenant brain damage to both the melder and meldee. I concur with Tak'l's assessment. They'll recover...

I understand that several in the group assigned to investigate would have had them killed, 'too risky' and 'I won't have an active Borg on my ship.' I'm glad the Ad--- Captain stuck up for them. Many people see her as nothing but a thug due to her conflict loving nature, her excellence at combat, both strategically and physically and how comfortable she is in battle. But they rarely see how much she truly cares for people. Or understand how many times she's refused to harm someone.

She once asked me that should I be deciding rather or not someone should live or die, that I think about what that person will do if they were allowed their life. Many people, I know would keep doing ill, and cause more death and destruction and can't be spared because they would injure or kill good people. But, these four, they're good officers, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, willing to die for what the federation stands for.

I, and probably most people on the Asura would be willing to risk our lives, and give of ourselves to save these people.

I, Thade declare: These good officers will NOT die because the federation abandoned them. They WILL recover, and Starfleet will honor them and see that they get the best care.

Chief Medical Officer, Signing Off.
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