Star Trek: Picard - Bruce Maddox and "The Nest"

As of the last Star Trek: Picard episode, "Absolute Candor", our ever widening band of heroes are finally on their way to "Freecloud".

Waiting there is supposedly one Bruce Maddox.

He better be there.  

I have this feeling though we'll go through the entire episode and we'll only see him as the episode closes.  TV loves to do that to it's audience.  Or, perhaps this, we'll find Maddox but he'll just be a hologram.  He's left a trail of crumbs to follow but he's really not dumb enough to be at the other end.  

Or, better still, they'll find Bruce Maddox on Freecloud but he is just an android.  Ha, that would be cool.  A man that works in A.I. and tinkers with synths has made one of himself.  The real Maddox is off by himself somewhere.  Living like a hermit much like Jean Luc.  Maddox only uses the hologram or synth to deal with his customers.  Or as a first line of defense.  The galaxy is a rough place you know.

Here's hoping we see Brian Brophy as Maddox again also.  Fans have been posting pictures with him.  But, he's been awfully coy about his return.  According to IMDB.com he hasn't had a acting credit since 2014.  Time to burnish that resume.

As for "The Nest", you know, that place where the "others" are kept.  The place the Romulans are looking for so they can destroy the rest of the Maddox creations before they become activated.  Do you suppose that is on Freecloud also?

Heck.  No.

Let me put it this way, what kind of self respecting pirate would bury his treasure at the same place he drinks his grog?  None.  Find Maddox and find the Nest at the same time?  No way.  Maddox cannot be such a fool as to do such a thing.

So where is it?

Have you ever read, "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe?  Where was the letter hidden?  With all the other letters of course.  In plain sight.  A place that would be too obvious to look.

So, is the nest on the Borg cube?  Wow, that would be audacious. Is that why Soji was sent there?  To activate the Nest if need be?  Why would anyone look there?  It seems too risky of Maddox.  The place is crawling with Romulans.  Maddox would have had to place the Nest there after the Borg deactivated it and before the Romulans arrived.  Unless, of course, the "Nestlings" look like Romulans.

Sadly, this scenario seems unlikely.  The Synths/Androids come in pairs.  Surely the Romulans would notice several of twins walking about.  Unless the are disguised as Borg.  Borg twins?  I kind of doubt it.  That might be going too far down the rabbit hole.

Hide the Nest on a deserted planet?  Maybe.  Just like buried treasure on a deserted island?  It can't be too remote though.  Maddox might have to be able to access them.  Then again, he may be able to upload any improvements to them much like I think he does with Soji.  Soji will contact her "mother" receive a key word, Soji then falls asleep and receives her new software.  

Hmm, I bet you Ceta Alpha 5 is still deserted.  Maybe Maddox tried there.

Another planet Maddox might try is somewhere close enough to the blast zone of the Romulan sun.  Hopefully, no one in their right Romulan mind would go there.  Too much baggage, too much danger.  

On Earth?  Not likely.  A definite no Synth zone.  

I'll continue to think on it.  If you have any ideas, post them in the comments below.  Here's hoping the "Nestlings" are on the Borg cube right under their noses.  I know I dismissed this idea but I love it.  Perhaps all the twins are just disguised as Borg.  Deep in the bowels of the cube in the grey area where nobody goes.

C'mon, Soji.  Hurry up and activate them.  I want to see all Hell break loose.