OOC: Special thanks to Corvette Hunt for finally putting up François' bio after almost three weeks of waiting (wink at John)! :) Also, I invite everyone (especially the CO and XO) to check out the Warp Speed page of the FC dept. I have finished a table that will help us time trips at different speeds.

<<Stardate: 47307.16- 18:00>>

<<Ten-Forward>>

François put down his empty glass and his gaze changed from the endless stars to the now crowded Ten-Forward. He had never been much of a socializer, nor had he ever been very good at making friends, and being in crowded places alone made him uncomfortable. But where could he go while waiting for the funeral services for captain Cochran? His quarters? Too boring. The gym? Naw, he didn't feel like working out, he had already sweated enough for one day. The holodeck? Hmmm...

DeMontigny reached into one of the secret compartments he'd added on his uniform and took out a small plastic memory disk. One of the many 'favors' he had asked of the Champagne's counselor was to make a holodeck program that would be designed to stimulate strong emotions in him and break his emotional block toward the Borg. A few days later, she had given him this disk. François had never had time to try it. But now...

He got up and headed for the exit.

<<Outside main holodeck>>

François arrived at the holodeck just as an ensign in a security uniform was about to go in.

"Hey! Don't I know you from somewhere?" he called out.

The ensign stopped and looked at François.

"No... I don't think so..." he said, uncertain.

"I'm François DeMontigny, the new Assistant Chief of Flight Control. Your face seems so familiar..."

"My name is Piotr Dimitri, I'm..." the ensign started.

"That's where I know you from! Lt. Castle talked to me about transferring you to Flight Control..." DeMontigny interrupted.

"What?!" Dimitri gasp, "But... but I don't want to go to flight control... no offense..."

"None taken. Maybe you should talk to the Lt."

"Good idea," answered the ensign, "I'll do that right away. Computer, locate Lt. Castle."

=^= Lt. Castle is in Ten-Forward =^= came the feminine voice, sending the young ensign toward the nearest turbolift.

DeMontigny chuckled and entered the holodeck.

<<Main Holodeck>>

François stood in the middle of the empty holodeck. He closed his eyes. "Computer, start program Borg FD." he said.

His heartbeat accelerated in anticipation as he heard a constant humming sound begin. He was nervous. Slowly, he opened his eyes... and he wasn't nervous anymore. He didn't feel anything. He was in a borg vessel.

Before him extended a corridor lined with dozens of 'sleeping' Borg. The constant humming, the dark metal and the corpse-like beings would make it a sinister place for some and a nightmare for others. But François didn't feel anything.

Obviously, he was required to walk down the corridor, so DeMontigny started walking. On either side of him, the Borg didn't move, but were omnipresent. New sounds came from ahead. Sounds of struggling and the voice of a woman. François headed in that direction, as it was probably required by the program, but still he didn't feel anything.

When he got to the end of the corridor, he saw three borgs dragging a woman in a Starfleet uniform into an adjacent chamber. The door remained opened and François walked through calmly. The woman was then strapped to some kind of operating table. She was screaming, fear apparent in her eyes. But François didn't even feel the need to help her. Above the table hung a multi-armed machine equipped with saws, drills, needles and other such tools. The arms descended and began to rip the woman apart, installing implants everywhere. The scene was gruesome to say the least and the woman screamed the whole time. It left François indifferent.

When they finished, the Borg turned to François. Coming forward, they grabbed his arms and brought him to the table. The woman, who was now a Borg, had already gotten up and was helping them secure François on the table. DeMontigny didn't even try to put up a fight, he didn't feel a need to. The blood-drenched multi-armed machine came down, drills turning and saws blazing. François looked inside himself for the slightest hint of an emotion, but he found nothing but a big black void.

He sighed.

"Computer, end program." he said and found himself back in the empty holodeck.

An image of the Champagne's counselor appeared.

"Well, that was it François." she said, "I hope it helped you. If it didn't... I'm afraid there isn't much else to do..." She disappeared.

François was alone. He hadn't felt a thing during the whole program. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Just a big emptiness in his soul. A big void. For someone who thrived on his emotions like François did, it was unbearable.

"Damn you. You had no right." he said in a low voice full of anger.

A tear streaked down his face. Although everything he had just witnessed left him indifferent, the indifference itself made him sad... and angry. Very angry.

"DAMN YOU SHAERA!" he screamed, dropping to his knees, "You had no right to do this to me! No right to violate my soul! To rob me of my emotions!!"

Burying his face in his hands, François cried, trying to fill the void with tears.

Lt(jg) François DeMontigny

Asst. Chief of Flight Controls

USS Grail