Resistance is not Futile

Conventions used in all adventure scripts: Normal text can safely be told to your players. Bold text is explanatory notes which only the GM / Narrator should see. To read more about the planets, races and tech involved in this adventure, follow the links throughout the script. Names are mostly left open to be described at the GM's discretion.

Introduction

Starfleet has recieved a distress call from Astar, a newly admitted Federation world which is on the frontiers of Federation space. The planet first made contact with a Borg cube six months previously, and has been under attack since. Surprisingly, the planet has held out well. Starfleet Intelligence suggests that the Astarians have some kind of natural immunity to the Borg assimmilation technology, and the Borg have resorted to killing the Astarians to remove the threat. Starfleet wants, at all costs, a live 'sample' of the Astarian immunity, because the advantage it would give to the Federation is huge. Unfortunately, the last pocket of resistance is a village only 200 strong.

Arriving at Astar

One Borg cube is in orbit around Astar, but for some reason it has been weakened. It is barely maintaining orbit, and transporter activity is sporadic and weak [A computer virus launched by the Astarians is affecting the cube]. The Captain orders an Away Team compiled of all the Crew to beam down and investigate. They are all disguised as Astarians, using basic cosmetic make-up and some minor facial re-shaping.

On Astar

The Away Team beams down to a clearing in woods 1km to the East of the village where Borg activity is concentrated. The short walk to the village is not easy; large, menacing predators seem to be following them, and vicious-looking birds circle overhead. After around 10 minutes walk, the village appears before them. Several Borg drones are walking around the village, apparently aimlessly. Astarians are few and far between, but look to be walking amongst the Borg with no trouble. There is no evidence of killing [because the Borg need the Astarians to remove the virus]. The Crew can mix in among the villagers in their disguises, no-one seems to pay much attention to them. Most Astarians are walking from building to building, with a small tavern being the focal point of the village.

The First Opportunity

The Crew notice a lone Astarian male walking into an alley beside the tavern. It is the perfect opportunity to complete their mission and leave safely. The male can be easily subdued by a light phaser hit, and the Crew can beam back to the ship. The Astarian is taken to sickbay, where they are met with bad news. Tests indicate the Astarian is not resistant to Borg nanoprobes. Every examination suggests that he is as susceptible to the probes as any other Federation member.

The Captain orders the Crew to beam back down, and make further investigations. They beam down back in the alley, and can leave the still unconscious Astarian. The adjacent tavern looks to be a promising route.

Cigarettes and Alcohol

The tavern stinks of the above. Discreet tricorder scans will reveal that the locals are chewing on a very powerful nicotine-based substance, and the Astarians appear for all intents and purposes to be off their heads. The stench is repulsive to all Crew members except Andorians, who find it oddly attractive. If they stand in the tavern doorway for long enough, someone will eventually shout at them to come in and close the door. The only sitting room is at a wooden table towards the back of the tavern.

An old-looking Astarian [the King's advisor Kaster] sits at the table drinking from a large tankard, filled with a pale brown liquid (just might be beer). He looks up at them, stares for a second, then suggests they sit down, and drink heartily. He orders drinks for the Crew, then sits waiting for them to speak. If the players ask him directly what he knows of the immunity the Astarians allegedly have, he mutters quietly to himself, with no definite answer. Eventually, he will tell them he knows of this, but he does not have time to tell them the story. He begins to stand, and looks to be heading out of the bar.

The players must stop him [He is on a mission to deliver a message to another local village]. If they herang him long enough for him to tell the story, he will sit, looking bemused, then begin drinking again. He tells them that if they do him a favour, he will have time to tell the story. Two Crew members should be chosen, to deliver a message he has to the nearby village. It only says, 'Ut ar qu do humos'. The two should leave, and can deliver the message safely to the other village's elder safely. The players in the bar can occupy themselves drinking the powerful local ale.

Kaster's Story

While the two are still away, Kaster recounts a story of myth and legend, which for the most part sounds highly unbelievable to the players. Finally, he tells them he is the Kings advisor, and only the King knows whether this myth is true. He says he will take them to the King, for the players sound among the most noble Astarians he has ever met, and the King would be honoured to meet them. The two players should return now. Just as they sit at the table, the tavern door bursts open and eight Borg drones march in.

I, Borg

The Borg walk past the bar, slowly, looking at each Astarian in turn. The players now notice that some Astarian's have small devices attached to their right arms, while others do not. Those that do not, have similar devices attached to them, and within seconds they disappear in a transporter haze. Slowly, the bar thins, until only those Astarian's with devices and the Crew are left. Kaster sits with no expression on his face. The Borg approach the rear table, examine the players, then move to attach devices to their arms [the devices are markers, so the Borg know who has been beamed to the cube for interrogation]. If the players resist, all eight Borg converge on them, and in a flurry of fists, the players are beamed up to the cube before they can act. If they do not resist, they are beamed up normally with the devices on their arms.

On the Borg cube

The players and around ten other Astarians are put on their front on shiny metallic table-style platforms. Unable to see what is happening, the first thing the players notice is the sound of an Astarian screaming further down the platform. Slowly the screams grow closer. When the Astarian next to the first player begins screaming, the player can see a Borg with a small hammer-like object stood over the man, gently tapping the top of his spine. Each tap seems to cause agony in the Astarian. The Borg moves onto the player. He taps, but strangely it doesn't hurt [the Borg are hitting the Astarian's weak-spot, which has no effect on other races]. If the player does nothing, the Borg will investigate further, and perform scans which reveal the players true identity. If one is caught, all the others will be checked and discovered. Assimmilation...?

If the Crew member plays along, screams sufficiently, and attempts to break loose, the Borg will be convinced and will move along the line, until at the end, the Borg booming voice announces that the Astarians will release the virus antidote, or be sent back to the planet for a period, before returning for further torture. No-one says anything, so they are beamed back down into the tavern, where the Astarian's are consoled and begin drinking heavily again.

Kaster's Sympathy

Kaster pities the Crew, saying he has experienced the pain too. He says he will take them to visit the King now, before the Borg return. Kaster tells them not to leave the village while he goes to check with the King, because the Borg will notice the tags have moved and will kill them and 5 Astorian's. He soon returns, and tells them to follow him. He takes them into the alley, opens a manhole, and descends into the sewers, taking a quick journey underground until they reach a large control centre, seemingly once used for sewer maintainance.

Hail to the King

The King has taken refuge from the Borg underground. He will tell them that he is a Borg rebel, part-Borg, part-Astarian, who came to this planet two generations ago to be free from the Collective. He launched the virus knowing it would render the Borg cube useless, but cannot release it now as the Borg will be free to hunt him down and re-assimmilate him. This he fears most. He begs with them to help him escape. If the players reveal their true identities (against their orders), he will be suspicious, but still ready to listen. If they remain incognito, he believes there is nothing they can do for him, and asks them to leave.

Revealing their mission is the only way to make him listen. After considering, he says he will release one of his son's, who has inherited his Borg immunity, to them if they promise to destroy the cube in orbit, and protect the planet thereafter. His son's, however, find the prospect of leaving Astar intolerable, so the King says they must only leave if they lose in combat with one of the Crew.

Battle to the Death

The first three son's win their duels with no trouble, being excellent fighters. It comes down to a duel between the youngest, weakest son, and the weakest Crew member. Everything depends on success. If the player wins, the son will agree to leave as a test subject, and the King is delighted at being free of the Borg (he believes). If the player loses, the only option the players have is to forcibly take one of the son's (or even the King) with them, beaming out on the spot.

Back in Space

The Captain is relishing the opportunity to take out the Borg cube; a spread of photon torpedoes aimed at the weakest spots around the ship will completely destroy it. If the player won the duel, the King thanks the Captain and resumes his leadership of his decimated planet. If the players kidnapped a son or the King, he vows to hunt them down, and make them pay for betraying his trust and benevolance.