6.02 survival instinct

Seven is attacked in her alcove by three scarred visitors to Voyager; they are former Borg, separated from the collective. Although they removed their implants, they are still attached – to each other – and are going crazy from hearing each other’s thoughts. Through flashbacks, we learn that Seven was with them when their Borg vessel crashed and they survived on a planet, waiting for the collective to find them. Separated from the collective, they began to remember – and assert – their individuality. But Seven, who had been assimilated as a child, grew fearful of her individuality, and reacted by injecting Borg nanoprobes into the three and linking them together. Now, the doctor finds that if they are separated, the operation will be fatal, leaving them only a month to live with their much-sought freedom. The only other alternative is to return them to the collective. While the doctor wishes to prolong their life as drones, Seven does not want to make the same mistake twice. She reminds that doctor that he too was once treated as something similar to a drone, confined to sick bay and only allowed to perform medical duties. If he was again asked to resume that limited role, would he not resist? The doctor understands and severs the link. With only a short time to enjoy their freedom, the three former Borg take off in different directions.