Captain Janeway sat alone in the messhall sipping her first mug of morning coffee before heading to the bridge. The gamma shift would be ending soon, filling up the room with a famished night crew, and only a few on the alpha shift ever made it to the messhall before lunch. She was waiting for Seven to join her this morning. Since Seven had begun eating food again, the two women always met for breakfast before duty and occasionally made plans to meet for dinner. As the coffee’s sweet aroma wafted upward and filled the air, she smiled at the only vice she that ever genuinely satisfied her and never experienced a hint of guilt while indulging in it.

“Captain, you are early,” Seven stated, startling Janeway. The six-foot blonde woman dominated in height over the captain when they stood face to face, and while Janeway remained sitting, she further towered the older woman.

“Ooh, you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that, Seven,” Janeway said as she wiped away a small droplet of spilled coffee dripping down her chin.

Seven pulled up a chair and squinted as she sat across from the woman who unknowingly blinded the Borg from the ceiling lights shimmering off her auburn head. Very rarely was Seven slow moving, but today, as she sat down and rested her head in her hands, she seemed sluggish and weary. Darkened circles clung beneath her eyes and the normal, chipper attitude she normally displayed at breakfast seemed gone today.

“Are you feeling alright, Seven? You look like hell.”

“The doctor has informed me that I am required to sleep a minimum of three hours each day in addition to regenerating. However, I find that amount of unconsciousness to be wasted, unproductive time I could be spending working on my duties.”

Janeway nodded in agreement and reached out to gently stroke Seven’s arm. “Normally I would suggest you do what you feel you need to do. Lord knows I’ve had my disagreements with the doctor myself, but your human physiology is demanding more attention. Your Borg implants can’t regulate your cycles like they once did.”

Out of nowhere, Neelix briefly interrupted the women as he quickly stopped by the table with two trays of food before running back off to the kitchen in preparation of the breakfast crowd soon to come. “Good morning, ladies. Try some fresh Getnac omelets and Wortorian fritters. They’re delicious!”

Though both women were starved, neither wanted to indulge in his offerings this morning. There was something unpleasant about eating breakfast that was still alive and looking back at you. Janeway even admitted to herself before continuing her conversation with Seven that emergency rations were looking pretty good right now.

“What I’m saying, Seven, is you have to accept that you’re human, and that means going to sleep.” Janeway sipped her coffee again and couldn’t resist smiling. There was something mystifying about the way a drink could make the Delta Quadrant seem like not such a bad place.

“The need for sleep is a human weakness. I am Borg,” Seven bluntly stated.

“Pardon me for my ignorance, Seven, but how is sleep different from regeneration?” Janeway asked curiously.

“Sleep is marked by unconsciousness. When I regenerate I am fully aware of my surroundings.”

“Oh,” Janeway sipped her coffee again before she said sarcastically, “Well, it sounds like you might be a light sleeper then.” It never occurred to her that Seven was fully aware of her presence all those nights of sneaking to the cargo bay for superfluous supplies when what she really wanted was an excuse to see the Borg again before going to sleep herself. There was a source of comfort in seeing Seven before she closed her eyes for the evening in her lonely quarters on deck two. She had been sneaking down there so many times that it became habitual and she never gave it a second thought, until now.

The women went through one of their roundabout disagreements again as they had so many times before. As people slowly drifted into the messhall they became entertained by what had jokingly become known throughout the ship as “Fire and Ice.” Two strong willed, attractive, and closely affectionate women constantly butting heads always left the doors of rumor wide open on the ship. It was no secret they interacted with each other off duty, playing on the holodeck or just talking in the messhall, but what they did behind closed doors had everyone gossiping.

“Seven, I know you feel sleep is a waste of time, but the doctor informs me you need it. Sleep refreshes the mind, and it allows us to make more of our day because we can see things with a fresh set of eyes after a little sleep. Besides, our minds don’t rest, only our bodies do. We can solve problems when we sleep on them. Now, I’ve asked Commander Chakotay to assign you quarters, and an engineering team can install your alcove in your new quarters if you want more privacy,” Janeway offered, trying to make peace. She disliked being harsh with Seven when the young woman was afraid or embarrassed by what she deemed weaknesses from her newly reclaimed humanity and even went out of her way to bend over backwards on occasion to appease their tensions when she could. Nearly an entire lifetime in the Collective on the quest for perfection suddenly taken from you in a matter of days can have an adverse affect on someone and Janeway always gave Seven extra slack.

“Thank you, Captain. I will leave the alcove in the cargo bay if that is acceptable.” Seven considered Janeway’s insightful view on sleep and making the most of her conscious time and agreed with her. “I believe sleep will not be as cumbersome as I anticipated.”

Janeway smiled. She was glad to see Seven give in to an argument from time to time, even when her point was valid. “I’m pleased to hear that. Now, how about we go replicate something more pleasing to the palate? I don’t like my breakfast staring at me.”

Both women got up and walked to the closest replicator. Neither wanted to hurt the Talaxian chef’s feelings, but a trip to sickbay would have done just that anyway, so they agreed it was better to spare themselves the physical pain of stomach cramps and replicated some muffins and orange juice.

Janeway sat on the bridge paying no attention at all to the usual banter that went on among the senior staff. Instead, she thought about her morning with Seven. She had given the young woman a great deal to think about; allowing her remaining Borg systems to surrender to her human physiology was a trying experience for the young woman, but a rewarding one as well. She was proud of the way Seven had come to accept her humanity again and this latest development for her, sleep, was a big step in further severing herself from the Borg lifestyle she lived. She wondered what Seven’s quarters would look like, what kind of decorations she would have, her taste in art, and selections of music. She couldn’t wait to be invited over after the young woman got settled in and was excitedly trying to come up with the perfect home warming gift. She guiltily looked around the bridge, embarrassed by her juvenile thoughts unbecoming of a starship captain, and was relieved that no one had noticed her daydreaming about something she considered silly.

“That’s your guess, Harry? A monkey? You think my spirit guide is a monkey?” Tom snorted from the conn.

“Sure, why not? It fits your personality. You’re laid back, a bit of a prankster, and you even look alike,” Harry jokingly added from his post.

Janeway rolled her eyes at the conversation. Some boys never grow up.

Without warning, the ship bumped heavily and came to a dead stop in space, knocking several people off their feet and Janeway out of her chair, rousing her hair in the process.

“Report!” Janeway barked.

“We’ve dropped out of warp,” Tom answered.

“Sensors indicate the presence of a nebula that was not detected earlier,” Tuvok added. “However, it has disappeared from sensors again before accurate scans could be made.” He looked up from his console and stared at Captain Janeway. Despite the lifelong training Vulcans went through to suppress emotions, he was unable to conceal the look of confusion that washed over his face. “Captain, I am getting readings consistent with that of a class twelve nebula.”

“Class twelve?” Janeway asked as she steadied herself in the captain’s chair, bracing herself for any further damage. Class twelve nebulas were only speculative. No one had ever encountered one, but since Voyager became lost in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway and the crew had encountered a lot of anomalies that were previously considered speculative.

“Indeed.” Tuvok continued tapping keys and scanning for irregularities consistent with the phenomenon, but found nothing but calm space ahead.

“Harry, check all systems. I want to…” the captain barked, but before she could get the words out, Seven’s voice cut in.

“ . . .Variance of spatial phenomenon 6902 . . . no gluonic radiation. Similar in appearance to . . . no, check for dark matter concentration differentials.”

The words were halting and spoken in a strange tone. Then, before the captain had a chance to inquire about Seven’s commentary, Harry started talking over her. “No systems damaged. Whatever it was, it was it seems to have been benign.”

“Janeway to Seven. What was that you were saying, Seven? I didn’t understand.”

“Captain?” Seven responded. “I did not say anything.” Strange, the captain thought. I wonder if there’s a problem with the communications system.

Seven responded, “What leads you to the conclusion that the communications system is malfunctioning?”

The captain, paused, confused. She looked around at the bridge crew, who seemed to find Seven’s question surprising. Leaving aside, for the moment, the question of what motivated Seven’s question, the captain responded, “we just heard a message from you, but you claim you didn’t speak. Perhaps it’s some kind of feedback loop.”

Facing forward, the captain did not notice Tuvok’s right eyebrow raise. Eventually Chakotay quietly asked, “Captain, you claim you heard a message from Seven just now?”

The captain turned towards her first officer, displaying a smirky, incredulous expression on her face, as if she was expecting him to be playing a joke on her. “Are you saying you didn’t hear that?” When Chakotay just stared blankly, as if he didn’t know what exactly she was referring to, she looked around at the rest of the bridge crew, who seemed to be looking at her just as blankly. Ugh! she thought. Were they or were they not able to hear Seven? Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

Then Seven’s voice came back, “Captain, I do not understand your confusion. You question whether or not others are hearing me when I am not speaking. I do not understand the context of your commentary.”

What is she talking about? What commentary? the captain thought. She immediately began to feel foggy and disoriented as Seven’s response came, “your commentary – ‘ugh’ I believe was the word you chose. You asked if ‘they’ can hear me. I assume you mean the bridge crew.”

Yes, she meant the bridge crew, but she hadn’t asked Seven that. Nor had she said “ugh”. Not only is this bizarre, but it’s impossible, she thought as she speculated about what was happening. She had to be sure though. “Chakotay, did you just hear me make the sound ‘ugh’?”

He looked at her with obvious confusion, a little hesitantly he answered, “no.” This was making her head spin. Seven was having some kind of auditory hallucinations, yet they appeared to be somehow accurate to thoughts Janeway was having.

“I do not understand, captain.”

A test. The captain thought for a moment and then said to herself, Seven, if you can hear me, I want you to say the word Rumpelstiltskin.

“Very well, Captain. Rumpelstiltskin,” Seven responded. The captain leaned back in her chair, with a feeling of confusion and dread washing over her, but before she could allow her thoughts to wander into the implications of this phenomenon, Seven’s voice returned. “Rumpelstiltskin: The title of an ancient Terran folk tale, recorded by the Brothers Grimm in 1851. The title refers to a the villain of the story who attempted to steal…”

“Seven, I didn’t ask for an analysis of the word, just the word itself.” Chakotay was now shooting the captain a more actively disturbed look. She got the feeling her words were causing him to entertain the thought that she was loosing her mind. She put on her best mentally competent face and added an expression that invited him to speak his mind.

“Captain, you’re not making much sense. All Seven said was ‘very well, captain, Rumpelstiltskin’. Do you want to explain what’s going on here?”

“Hold on a minute, Chakotay. Seven, I want you to think silently about a word, but don’t say it. Alright?”

Seven’s verbal response was muted to everyone else on the ship, but the captain heard, “Think silently about a word? What sort of word? What is she attempting to ascertain? Alright, Captain. Bulkhead.”

The captain smiled to herself. Seven must have looked around Astrometrics for something she could name. “Bulkhead, Seven. Your word was bulkhead, correct?”

“Yes, captain. That is correct. How did you know that?”

“I don’t know, Seven. But I think you and I better report to sickbay. I’ll see you there.” The captain turned to Chakotay and started talking before he could voice the question that was so clearly on his lips. “Chakotay, I want you to do a systematic check of the crew to find out if anyone is experiencing anything unusual. Harry, I want all the data you can give me on that spatial phenomenon we just hit.” Turning back to Chakotay as she stood, she ignored the confused expression he had and said simply, “You have the bridge.”

Captain Janeway and Seven remained in sickbay for over an hour, during which time the doctor poked, prodded, and generally invaded their privacy by performing thorough physical examinations simultaneously. He scanned for injuries, took vital signs, and meticulously looked at their brain functions, all of which proved that nothing was out of the ordinary as far as he could tell.

“So you’re saying you can hear Seven’s thoughts?” the doctor asked Janeway. She responded with a quick nod and then he turned to Seven and asked, “And you say you can hear the captain’s thoughts?”

“That is correct.”

“Well this makes for an interesting situation doesn’t it?” He turned away so his snickering couldn’t be seen, but the bobbing of his head clearly gave away his amusement. When he finally regained his composure, he turned around and continued, “Congratulations, you are officially my first case of transcognitive displacement.”

“What are you saying?” Janeway asked.

“I’m saying that I have no idea why you’re sharing thoughts. My guess is there’s an outside force at work here that my instruments can’t detect, but since no one else seems to have this condition, I can’t even count on that.”

Janeway was clearly becoming frustrated but tried to remain in good spirits about it since no harm was being done. “What’s the prognosis then?”

“I am pleased to inform you, Captain, that aside from a few extra pounds since your last checkup, you are as healthy as a horse and free to leave.” He looked over at Seven with an annoyed expression. “You, on the other hand, have not had your maintenance checkups in almost a month and it’s beginning to show. I need to stimulate some of your minor implants and you still have not gone to sleep yet as I told you to. We can do it now if you’re not busy.”

Janeway smirked. Someone’s been a bad little Borg, she thought harmlessly, briefly forgetting the reason they were in here despite silently exchanging thoughts and concerns about their predicament throughout the entire examination.

Seven glanced over at Janeway, who tried unsuccessfully to conceal the smirk on her face before she was caught, and raised her eyebrow, showing the doctor her displeasure but allowing Janeway to hear it, “You are not one to talk. You are famous throughout the ship for ignoring your medical needs.”

“I will return at a later time, Doctor. I must report back to Astrometrics.” Seven jumped down from the biobed and ignored the doctor’s ranting about what a horrible patient she had become while Janeway just sat and watched, amused at the interaction between them and how easily irritated he became. She considered a while ago that reprogramming him might do wonders for his personality as well as his ego, but Seven argued that doing so would take away his sentience and she reconsidered.

“ …no doubt stemming from spending too much time with the captain…” he mumbled under his breath as he scurried around putting the medical tools back in their respective places. “…it’s clear she’s making a bad impression on you. I don’t even know why I bother sometimes.”

Janeway heard his last remark but chose to ignore it. Sometimes it was best to let him vent before reassuring him of his importance onboard. She jumped down from the bed too and put her hands on her hips. Getting fat, huh?

“Captain?” Seven asked from across the room.

“Nothing. I was just…thinking,” Janeway locked eyes with Seven before both women laughed out loud in unison and acknowledged the amusing situation they were in. Since the doctor informed them that no one else had reported to sickbay for strange feelings or odd behavior, aside from an upset stomach he treated shortly after the breakfast hour, it was made clear they were alone in this mysterious phenomenon.

“Doctor, I want you to scan the medical database for similar incidents and let me know if you turn up anything. We need to find out why this happened,” Janeway said before they both left sickbay. She already had the bridge crew working on similar scans in the main computer and she intended to talk to Neelix about this as well. Voyager’s only Delta Quadrant native might know something about this phenomenon that could prove to be an eye opener.

“I shall be in Astrometrics,” Seven stated as she and Janeway parted ways.

As Janeway entered the turbolift alone heading to bridge, she could still hear Seven’s voice as if she were standing beside her. “Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine is in Astrometrics.”

Strange, Janeway thought. It felt eerie to be able to hear someone else’s thoughts even though the women weren’t in the same room or even on the same deck for that matter. She noticed that the farther apart they were, the more erratic the words were that she heard. In sickbay, they were able to have a conversation between them without saying a single word aloud, but now with several decks separating them it was if some of the words were being lost and creating more confusion. Different environments…It must be different environments that do it, she concluded. The voice was as loud as before, but some of the words had faded and the context of the words was never clear to the other person. However, regardless of the humor in the situation, she was determined to find the cause and the treatment. They couldn’t go on like this forever.

Janeway stepped back onto the bridge to find Harry and Tom working together at the Ops console while Tuvok and Chakotay working together at Tactical. While Voyager remained resting in space, everyone was either running long range scans, running diagnostic tests on the computer systems, or scanning the database for similar phenomena.

“Report.”

Chakotay turned and approached Janeway as she stepped out of the turbolift. “I’m sorry, Captain. There’s…” his words were abruptly cut off by Janeway’s raised hand.

She continued hearing Seven’s voice but couldn’t concentrate on Chakotay’s words at the same time. It was as if Seven was whispering in one ear while the rest of the crew was heard in the other, both simultaneously competing for her attention. “…Have to get this report to Lt. Torres…”

“Wait, Commander.” Janeway held up her hand to listen to the voice, but she was unsure if Seven was speaking to her directly or merely thinking to herself about something relating to her own environment.

“…Incompetent…greatly reduces the efficiency in this department…”

Janeway tapped her comm. badge and asked, “Seven, can you repeat that? I didn’t hear it all.”

“Repeat what, Captain? I did not speak.”

Shaking it off, Janeway knew this was going to drive her mad if things continued this way. “Seven, I need you to report to the briefing room in ten minutes. Janeway out.” She turned to face Chakotay again and was suddenly aware of how awkward this was for everyone, not only her and Seven. Her orders were becoming difficult to understand and follow, the voice in her head was like an insect buzzing around, and what’s more she felt confused as to which voice she should listen to. It was like trying to listen to two people arguing at once. “Commander, you were saying?”

Chakotay had a saddened expression on his face. He wanted to deliver the news that she wanted to hear, that everything was going to be fine again, but instead he could only deliver bad news. “There’s nothing out there. If there was a nebula, it’s gone now. The nearest point of interest is a small pocket of radiation over thirty light years from here.”

“Inform the senior staff of a briefing in ten minutes and have Neelix come too. I’ll be in my ready room trying to gather my thoughts.” She briskly walked away from the bridge but not away from the confusion. I wonder if this is what it’s like in the Collective.

“Wonder what this is like?” Janeway heard as Seven silently voiced the question in her mind from the opposite end of the ship.

Janeway’s head was now screaming with her own thoughts as well as Seven’s about whomever it was she thought was ‘incompetent’. Clearly, the Borg was upset at something and she would find out soon enough after the briefing. In the meantime, she had to calm down from the huff she worked herself into since leaving sickbay. She paced the room looking for something, anything to take her mind off the voices. “Computer, play music selection Janeway 13.”

The soft sounds of Vulcan music filled the air and brought her mind back to a place of comfort. This particular song was one Tuvok had introduced her to as a means of preparing the mind for meditation and it never failed to calm her down under times of extreme stress. She closed her eyes, envisioned a beach along the California coastline south of San Francisco, and passed the time before the briefing by remembering the tranquil scenery of the waves crashing and birds singing. Paradise, she thought.

“Paradise: a place or state of bliss; an intermediate place where the righteous departed await resurrection…”

Janeway’s eyes bulged out as she lost the calming image and she mentally screamed, “Seven!”

1430 hours

Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine sat at opposite ends of the conference table with the remaining senior staff and Neelix between them. The plan was to come up with a way to neutralize the effects of the mind reading ability the women recently had on each other, but so far, after several hours of debating unworkable ideas, no one had a clue as to what caused it or how to fix the unknown phenomenon.

“Come on people,” Janeway said as she stared out at the painfully silent group. “This crew is the brightest bunch of people I’ve ever worked with, and I know we can work this out.” She glanced around the table, looking at each person individually that could only return a blank look and, for the first time since this happened, became nervous. Come on people, don’t let me down now, she thought.

“We could disperse a magneton pulse relay throughout the ship,” Harry offered. “If there’s an entity behind this that’s impervious to our scanners, it could be temporarily exposed.”

“That might work, assuming there is an entity, but we’d have to recalibrate the electron resonance scanners,” Torres added, still not convinced an entity was behind the phenomenon in the first place.

“Perhaps a photonic surge…no, insufficient… a dechyon beam transmitted through the…no, inadequate…”

Janeway looked across the table at Seven, who was deep in thought concentrating on the situation at hand. “Seven, you had something to say?”

She looked up quickly. “Captain, I believe we must first verify the presence of a fissure in the shield matrix before we continue with Ensign Kim’s plan. Any attempt to disperse a magneton pulse relay throughout the ship would cause severe damage to the hull, assuming the shields have not been penetrated.”

“She is correct, Captain,” Tuvok said, jumping in on the idea. “The possibility of a widespread neuroleptic shock could also incapacitate several of the crew without a means of escape for the pulse relay. The pulse would continue to resonate off the inner hull until it produced a fragment, or possibly even a breach.”

“…Modifications to the power relays…”

“Captain,” Chakotay inserted, “We could fire a photonic surge inside the ship and…” he couldn’t even get the words out before Janeway cut him off.

“That won’t work,” she snapped.

“Captain?” he asked with confusion.

“Seven already said a photonic surge wouldn’t work.”

The room suddenly grew silent again and everyone looked at Seven, then back to the captain for an explanation. Seven did believe the photonic surge wouldn’t work, but she never said it aloud.

“I’m sorry,” Janeway apologized when she realized Seven’s idea was never verbalized. “I assumed everyone heard Seven say the photonic surge wouldn’t work. I know this is difficult for everyone, that’s why we have to get to the bottom of it.” She rubbed her temple out of frustration. Between no one coming up with any concrete ideas and Seven’s constant, incomplete, sub vocal ramblings about transmissions, recalibrations, modifications, and spatial grids, she was being driven insane with aggravation. Coffee. I need coffee.

I believe a liquid refreshment break would be a senseless distraction from our goal at this time, Seven thought to herself in response to Janeway’s silent plea for coffee.

Once again, Janeway looked down the table at Seven and stared, annoyed. As the uncomfortable silence in the room grew, the crew watched Janeway crunch her eyebrows together and glare while Seven shifted the cybernetic implant on her left eye upward. The two were obviously “discussing” something the others couldn’t hear, and when both women simultaneously broke eye contact with each other, appearing to be much calmer than a minute ago, Neelix took advantage and spoke up.

“Captain, if I may?” he asked, breaking the silence. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have brought up such an unrealistic proposition, but there seemed no other alternative. “There is a story I heard from some people at a tavern on Honora Prime about a species of highly spiritual people that occupy a region of space not too far from here.” Recently Voyager had docked at the space station and loaded up on supplies, mingled with the cultural people living there, and spent a few days resting before the next step in their long haul back to the Alpha Quadrant. “They’re called the Moklir. Not many people have dealt with them and many believe them to be a myth, but they’re the closest species to this region. They’re a bit eccentric from what I’ve heard, but maybe we could hail them and see if they know anything about what’s happening.”

Perhaps we could hail Santa Claus while we’re at it, Seven thought wryly, her expression unchanging.

Immediately, Janeway burst out with an uncontrollable laugh. To everyone else in the room it appeared that she was laughing at Neelix’s suggestion, but she knew Seven was aware of exactly what she was laughing at and shot the young woman a piercing look once she calmed down. “My apologies, Neelix,” she managed say in between giggles. “I’m not laughing at you.” When she finally regained her control, she dismissed the group. “Chakotay, check the shield matrix for fractures, then hail these Moklir and ask about strange phenomenon in this region. Contact me the minute you hear from them. Dismissed.”

After everyone left the room, Captain Janeway remained alone for a short while, sitting passive in her chair and thinking about the situation she was in with Seven. She was intrigued by the thoughts that went through Seven’s head as well as through her head stemming from Seven’s mind. She always knew Seven was a complex individual but had no idea how deep the complexity went until today.

1630 hours

Captain Janeway couldn’t help breathing a bit easier than she had in some time as the view screen popped up and the face of a Moklir ship captain appeared. After they had identified themselves, the captain quickly explained the nature of the phenomenon they had encountered and briefly described its effects. She felt even more relieved, as it appeared the Moklir were at least somewhat familiar with the story.

“Ah, captain. I have no information on any documented phenomenon that matches the description you’ve given. However, your story is reminiscent of a myth told by distant our cousins, the Elkir. They are a fully telepathic society. Thousands of years ago we lived as one people, but a portion of the population underwent a telepathic mutation. There was a great period of strife after which the Elkir isolated themselves from us. We view the development of their uniqueness as a scientifically explainable evolutionary change, but they have come to think of it as a form of divine intervention. Since their isolation began, they have become a highly religious people, and they now refuse all contact with non-telepathic people. We know of their culture through some amount of cross-filtration. Occasionally a Moklir child is born with telepathic abilities and chooses to leave us and live among the Elkir. Likewise, sometimes one of their children is born “deaf” and they give the child to us to raise. Since these children are very young and pre-verbal, they do not bring us much knowledge of the Elkir as they exist today, but we are able to contact them to initiate these custodial transfers. I believe I recall that they had a story of a gift from the gods that had something to do with the granting of sudden telepathic powers to “the deaf”, which is what they call non-telepaths, but I can tell you no more than that. Unfortunately, I can think of no way a fully non-telepathic race such as yourselves would find a way to communicate with them.”

“Actually, Mr. Sinesh, our crew is a multi-species amalgam. We do have crewmembers with telepathic abilities. Would the Elkir be willing to speak with one of them?”

“How fortunate for you, Captain. I cannot say for certain whether the Elkir would be willing to speak with you, but it is possible. To contact them, you should develop a message that asks for their attention, and have your telepath use a meditative repetition until they respond. They typically travel through this area, but they use a sophisticated cloaking device, so you would not be able to otherwise detect their presence.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sinesh. We will do that. Do you have any idea of the range in distance of the Elkir’s telepathic sensitivity? Along with an estimation of the distribution of Elkir vessels in this area of space, this would allow us to calculate a confidence interval of the time period within which we could expect to contact them?”

As the Moklir representative filled in the details she had requested, she silently requested Seven to calculate the probability ranges she had mentioned. She hardly needed to do so, though, as she could hear the mumblings of Seven’s background thoughts as she prepared the algorithms she would use to make her calculations, taking into account variations in the space around them which would have varying likelihoods of attracting sentient life forms.

Soon after breaking off contact with the Moklir and before she had a chance to confer with Tuvok about the plan for contacting the Elkir, Seven had come to the conclusion that they were 95% likely to be able to contact a Elkir vessel within three days. Three days seemed like an eternity, but they could always get lucky and find one before that. Stranger things have happened, thought the captain, as she smiled to herself. “Indeed,” she heard as Seven thought in response to her comment and she resisted the urge to turn and try to catch the smirky smile she imagine flashed across Seven’s face.

1900 hours

After the crew returned to work on the analysis of the phenomenon, Janeway moved to her ready room to look over the data The Doctor had accumulated on sudden telepathic linking phenomena. Though he was convinced none of the precedents were applicable, due to them largely being caused by localized environmental factors affecting all persons equally, the captain had a feeling if they could find a theoretical link, they could develop an applicable model. As Seven’s thoughts continued in her mind, it appeared Seven was focused on a similar idea. Though she didn’t always understand what Seven was saying, restricting her environment to the ready room made it easier to deal with the confusion between Seven’s thoughts and her own. Being on the bridge and hearing the voices of the crewmembers just added another level of confusion. As the hours drew on, she stayed in her ready room, as Seven did in Astrometrics.

“ …Attempt sleep. The Doctor will ask me…”

Yes, it is time to give up work for the day, Janeway thought. It was as if Seven’s thoughts and her thoughts were bouncing off each other, developing one stream of consciousness, but as Seven left Astrometrics and the captain headed to her quarters, the match became erratic. The captain couldn’t always trace the context for the voice, “… irritating…ridiculous…fail.” What is she thinking about? Sometimes, when the captain voiced these silent questions, Seven would respond with an explanation. Other times, like this, there was nothing. Eventually there were more disjointed words, then some coherent thoughts that seemed disconnected to the previous ones. She concluded that when each of them concentrated on a single specific thought, it became more articulate to the other person, but when their minds wandered, the random, erratic thoughts so nonchalant to one became nothing but random, chaotic thoughts that made no sense to the other. “Tomorrow I will calculate the brain wave frequency correlations across known telepathic phenomenon,” she heard one last time before the voice drifted off and remained silent for a while, suggesting Seven had finally taken The Doctor’s advice and gone to sleep.

Once she arrived back at her quarters, Janeway entertained some thoughts about relaxing things she could do. She thought about a bath, but she didn’t even want to think about Seven hearing her bathing thoughts. Instead, she decided reading might be the answer and began looking for something that would peak her interest. While casually browsing her bookshelf among the few books she brought from home and those she replicated over the years, her mind began to wander and she remembered her initial curiosity about how Seven would adjust to a more human lifestyle once she had adapted to her new quarters. It was strange, hearing Seven’s thoughts on becoming more human, and it gave her a new perspective on something she took for granted. This, compounded with the curiosity about Seven’s satisfaction in living arrangements, impelled her to impulsively leave her quarters and seek out Seven. Paying no attention to detail, she grabbed the book her hand had been resting on, retrieved a small gift she replicated earlier for Seven, and headed out the door.

She stood outside Seven’s quarters for the longest time hesitating about coming here. She hemmed and hawed about disturbing Seven, whom she knew was tired and probably asleep, but she also knew she needed to be here, though she didn’t know why. Since being able to share her thoughts with the other woman whether she wanted to or not, she had been going out of her way to suppress any thought that wasn’t directly related to ship’s business, especially those unwanted private thoughts and fears she had about herself that she never shared with anyone before. She felt vulnerable now with someone else being able to read her mind and hear her fears, knowing the guilt she lived with day after day, the loneliness that became her existence, the companionship she desired, and the affectionate way she thought about Seven. It stirred feelings she hadn’t dealt with in years, feelings of someone else having a control over her, and all she could do to keep her most private thoughts hidden away and remain sane was concentrate on her captaincy to get her through the day. Several crewmembers had passed her in the hall and gave odd looks as she stood awkwardly alone outside the quarters mumbling to herself. Oh, just do it, she thought, finally giving in and letting that stray thought slip by. Without warning, the doors opened and startled her, and she stood face to face with Seven, who appeared unsurprised by the captain’s presence.

“I did not intend to alarm you, Captain,” Seven said as Janeway jumped back. “I have been expecting you.”

“Have you?” Janeway asked, surprised by Seven’s prediction. “I thought you were sleeping, but I guess I was wrong.”

“I know very well the reason you have come.” Seven made this statement in her characteristic neutral tone, and Janeway felt a sudden unexpected queasiness. What does she think is the reason I’m here? What did I think?

Seven raised her eyebrow as she regarded the captain. “I have also felt the experience of this phenomenon to be most disconcerting when we do not share the same immediate environment. And I find your thoughts, especially since we have ceased work on the incident, confusing and bothersome.”

The captain smiled a little, sarcastically, “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“It is not you that bothers me. You never bother me.” No thought crossed the captain’s mind in return about why she let that last thought of Seven’s just hang in the air. She just moved right on past it. “I came to let you know that, until we find a solution to this problem we have, I’m assigning you to the bridge.” She hesitated in the next part, mostly because of the strange, unfamiliar feelings she had been having lately, but practicing the speech all the way over here helped her spit it out without stuttering. “I think we should also spend as much off time together as possible. It will do both of us some good to share the same environment. I even brought a book to read. I thought perhaps if we read the book together it would force us to focus on the same ideas and eliminate some of the confusion we’re experiencing.” She leaned in closer and admitted with a throaty chuckle, “I don’t know about you, but I feel like there’s constant screaming in my head.”

“I agree. It would be more efficient to remain together rather than continue having all the distractions that we do.”

There was an awkward silence in the air as both women stood in the doorway looking at each other, subconsciously trying to read the other’s mind, until Seven finally moved aside and allowed Janeway to enter. “Please come in.”

“So these are your new quarters?” Janeway asked after taking a quick glance around the room. Immediately she noticed the lack of a personal touch it had; it was almost sterile compared to her own quarters. “A little sparse, don’t you think?”

“I have just arrived, Captain. I am sure with the generosity of this crew my quarters will be as cluttered as your in no time,” Seven joked.

“Well, here, I brought you something.” Janeway reached behind her back and handed Seven the elegantly decorated box. “A housewarming gift.”

“Thank you.” Seven unwrapped the box and pulled out a beautiful glass pyramid. It was delicately cut so that light of various colors reflected off it in mesmerizing patterns.

“You make a wish while holding it in your hands and the wish comes true, or so they say.” Janeway opened the front of the pyramid. “Or you can put potpourri inside. I had one of these when I was a child. I’ve never had one of my wishes come true, but I thought you might like the decorative aspect if nothing else.”

“It is beautiful, Captain. Thank you.” Seven leaned in to kiss Janeway’s cheek in gratitude, something she had witnessed many of the crew do in similar situations, but pulled away at the last second, not feeling secure about the captain’s receptiveness. Instead, she nodded off to the far corner of the room. “I know the perfect location for this item.”

Together they walked over to a small table in the corner and Seven placed the pyramid beside an oddly shaped clay animal. Janeway’s confused expression prompted an explanation. “It is from Lt. Paris. He claims it is a late Twentieth Century fad called a chia pet.”

“Interesting.” Tom’s fascination with Twentieth Century history never ceased to amaze the captain. “So, have you settled in yet?”

“I have just arrived to distributed a few personal items throughout the room, including an interesting gift from Lt. Torres.” Seven gestured with her hand toward a small statue across the room. “She believes it will challenge my ‘HIja bang’ to come forth.”

With a puzzled look on her face, Janeway commented, “I’ll have to brush up on my Klingon.” She walked over to the statue and unconsciously dropped her jaw in shock. It was a small Klingon statue, similar in appearance to the Statue of David, resting on a table by the kitchenette, only its genital area wasn’t quite proportional with the rest of its body. “…It is enormous…” she heard in her head coming from the cool, unaffected woman standing beside her while she gawked at the statue and couldn’t help replying as she continued to gasp in horror at its endowment. “It certainly is, Seven.” She was surprised at Seven’s taste in art, shocked that she had chosen to display it rather than hide it in the closet, and carefully examined the statue, wondering why someone would find this appealing to look in the first place. It was a typical B’Elanna gift.

Moving on, beside the statue there was a small drawing signed by Naomi Wildman that hung on the wall. The picture illustrated Naomi and Seven walking through the Enchanted Forest with Flotter, a character from one of Naomi’s favorite holonovels. Charming, she thought as she fondly remembered walking through that same forest when she was Naomi’s age several decades ago. On a small table near the couch in the center of the room was a small plaque. When she pushed the button on the plaque, an image of The Doctor appeared and began singing opera. She remembered the time well when The Doctor resigned his commission to live with a colony on aliens who idolized him for his singing ability. Of course, he had changed his mind once the aliens created a hologram better suited to their tastes in music and more advanced than his matrix could allow. She remembered how Seven was hurt by his decision to leave and how it hurt her too to watch the pain in Seven’s eyes as she watched him prepare for his departure, how Seven had written him a fan letter to better express her feelings, and how the possibility of losing her friend caused an enormous amount of personal growth for the young woman. Softly, she smiled to herself upon reflection and proudly realized that her Borg was growing up right before her eyes.

Seven remained quiet and withdrawn for a few minutes as Janeway looked around the room. Surely the day’s events had taken its toll on the already overly fatigued woman and the captain didn’t hesitate in saying as much once she noticed Seven’s sudden onset of silence.

“You’re exhausted, Seven. Why don’t you go get some sleep. We can hit the book or go to the holodeck tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Captain, but I will need to regenerate soon. I will sleep after. I merely came here to deliver some data pads for later use.” Seven looked down, tilted her head, and read the title of the book Janeway held in her hand. JEZEBEL. With a raised brow, she added, “A very interesting piece of literature you have selected.”

Looking down, Janeway couldn’t believe what she was holding in her hands. Great one, Katie, she thought, briefly forgetting that Seven was fully able to hear every word she thought as if she had said them out loud. Slightly embarrassed by her selection as well as her presumptuous behavior, she flashed a crooked smile and changed the subject. “Well, I just stopped by to ask you about spending time together. I’ll see you bright and early on the bridge. Goodnight and …happy regenerating.” She quickly left without looking back, feeling very foolish, and kicking herself in the pants.

After fuming all the way back to her quarters at what a fool she made of herself, she stormed through the doors and carelessly threw the book on the table. What's happening here? She went into the bedroom, changed her clothes, and was in bed in record time, frustrated with herself, disturbed by her recent behavior, irritated with the strange phenomenon, and feeling more lonely than ever. She laid motionless, desperately trying to fall asleep and put the day behind her but instead found herself hearing Seven’s broken phrases in her head once again and unsuccessfully tried to block them out of her mind.

Within a few minutes of eavesdropping on Seven’s random thoughts, the gabbled noise Janeway heard became more distinct and the broken phrases had now turned into clearer sentences, and she couldn’t help herself but deliberately focus on Seven’s words rather than block them out. “…I am now required to sleep… I find this concept most disturbing… I have discussed this concept with Captain Janeway… sleep essential for my human physiology… I will ask The Doctor to assist me…”

As she listened to Seven’s words, she concentrated on them and silently mouthed them as they came to her when it suddenly dawned on her what Seven was thinking about. “She’s writing in her personal log,” she muttered softly. Hurriedly, she sat up and hastily threw the covers off the bed. She wasn’t sure what prompted this sudden desire to see Seven so soon after leaving her quarters, especially after making a fool of herself with that book she brought, but she knew she wanted to see her once more before she went to sleep. “Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine is in Cargo Bay Two.”

The voice stopped before she even had the chance to get out of bed, and Janeway deciphered from the abrupt silence that Seven must have finally started her regeneration cycle. A strange sensation warmed her, taking over her body with affectionate feelings about the woman and she reluctantly lowered herself back into bed and rested her head on the pillow. “Sweet dreams, Seven,” she whispered softly enough for only herself to hear and fell fast asleep.

PERSONAL LOG
Seven of Nine

I have just completed my regeneration cycle and will commence sleeping per The Doctor’s orders after completion of my daily personal log.

An unusual phenomenon has occurred on Voyager today. For reasons unknown by everyone, Captain Janeway and I have begun to share thoughts. I found it comforting in the beginning to have another voice with me constantly, but I now find the voice disturbing and, at times, threatening. It was a friendly reminder of being in the Collective, but I am an individual now. I do not wish to lose my identity and all that I have become. I am also concerned that if the occurrence is not repairable I may be permanently mentally linked to Captain Janeway. While this concept is not disturbing because I am able to obtain a greater understanding of her, I am fearful that she will discover I have not lived up to her expectations.

Since the beginning of this strange phenomenon, I have heard Captain Janeway express concern about various things not directly related to ship’s business. She has repeatedly voiced thoughts pertaining to self-doubt, guilt, and loneliness. I am unsure if she is aware I have heard these fears she articulated, and I am equally unsure as well as concerned that I have unconsciously voiced similar concerns about my own feelings.

The voice is silent now, and Captain Janeway is possibly asleep. I have been assigned bridge duty until a remedy for this phenomenon can be rendered, and I have agreed to spend my off duty hours with Captain Janeway to ease the confusion that separate environments create. I look forward to spending my time with her, but my fear of being a burden is rising. Perhaps I will create an activity for us to participate in to help pass the time more quickly.

0715 hours

Captain Janeway sat at her desk in the Ready Room staring at the enormous stack of reports she let build up again. This has to stop, she thought as she silently reminded herself of a promise she made about not letting the work build up. “Captain?” There was the voice again, distracting her in a pleasant way. It was as if she was silently and unintentionally communicating with Seven, and she blew it off out of frustration. She couldn’t believe she was going to have to spend almost every minute of the next two days in the same room with Seven, doing the same activities. She never spent so much time alone with one person, other than Mark, and it seemed…different. Oddly enough, though, she realized this didn’t bother her either.

Tuvok entered and submitted his daily report for assessment. Apparently, during the night there had been a scuffle in the messhall involving Lt. Torres, Mr. Neelix, and leola root soufflé. It was hardly something to report to the captain, mainly because everyone was growing tired of leola root in nearly every dish the Talaxian chef prepared, but it was something to keep an eye on since B’Elanna had a tendency to lose control from time to time.

“Thanks, Tuvok. Keep me informed.”

As he quietly exited through the doors and left her alone in the room, she drummed her fingers on the desk and thought about things she could do with Seven after their shifts. There was the DaVinci simulation, but Seven didn’t express much interest in sculpting. They could play Velocity, but that would only take up an hour of their time. Reading was always a possibility, but after bringing that trashy romance novel to Seven’s quarters last night, she couldn’t possibly face the woman with that idea again. Or maybe I can… she reconsidered with sudden inspiration. If there was one thing about the trashy romance novels she read, aside from the colossal sex scenes, it was that there was a way to escape to new worlds. This could be an excellent way to encourage Seven to grow. Forgetting again that Seven could be listening, she let slip one of her more personal thoughts and had to come up with a way to rid herself of it before Seven heard her and caught on. Shit. Change the subject. Quick. Reports. Do reports. She shook her head in frustration as she voiced her irritation, “This is going to be a long day.”

1700 hours

The rest of the day had been uneventful and not as confusing as the previous day was. Both women chalked it up to adjusting to their newfound ability and went about their normal routines until the voice became too much and forced them to work together until the confusion lessened, though neither felt pressure in working together under the circumstances. It became a calm sense of familiarity and both enjoyed the extra togetherness as the hours passed by quickly.

No longer fearing the cacophony of their off-duty hours, the captain left her ready room at the usual time, seeking out Seven in Astrometrics for their planned dinner in the mess hall. As she walked down the corridors, she noted the light feeling she had.

The captain wondered how easy it was for Seven to infer her emotional status from the words she spoke in Seven’s mind. There were probably times when it was clearer than others. As for the captain herself, when they were separated, she was rarely aware of how Seven was feeling about things, except what she could gather from the tone of Seven’s thoughts, which was much harder to trace than the tone of actually spoken words. And Seven’s words were typically so emotionally devoid and analytical that any emotional context was usually not represented, even in Seven’s thoughts. But when they were together, the slight variations in Seven’s facial expressions, paired with the hints in tone that came through in Seven’s thoughts and spoken words provided a much clearer map to Seven’s heart.

What am I doing mapping Seven’s heart? Shit. – Hmm…the carpet in this corridor is grey. Yes, actually silver would be a better term. Ahh. This was one of the many recent times in which the captain found herself saying things she just didn’t want Seven to hear. But the harder she tried to chase away the thought, the more persistent it became. She can be so compelling. Damn. -- There’s Ensign Mulchahey. He’s such a hard-working fellow. I haven’t found a moment to talk to him in far too long.

At first, the captain had found these unstoppable private thoughts to be threatening, and when she saw Seven, she would watch her carefully for any reaction she might have had, wondering if the young woman would bring it up in conversation. Of course, her blatantly obvious attempts at chasing these thoughts away were probably doing more to draw attention to the thoughts then the actual thoughts ever would have, but it was a matter of stopping those thoughts before they went too far. If she let herself begin to think about certain things, there was no telling where those thoughts would go.

Once again, when the captain met Seven outside her new quarters, the Borg showed no unusual expression and engaged her in neutral conversation about the work they had done today and the plan for contacting the alien race Neelix had spoken of at the staff meeting. As they walked, the captain felt the tension melting away from her, and she found herself being pleased and thankful for Seven’s company.

They passed through a pleasant dinner easily. The captain enjoyed immensely the contrast between Seven’s thoughts and the things she actually said to the people they encountered. When they had finished, she asked Seven to accompany her to her quarters, as she admitted it was “her turn to play hostess.” Seven quirked an eyebrow at the phrase, and Janeway heard a bit of the underlying thought about “not playing at anything,” but said only her characteristic, “very well.” The captain let it go at that, with her equally characteristic smile.

Once inside, the captain offered Seven a drink, but she declined.

“You didn’t even think about it, Seven. Are you sure you wouldn’t enjoy something?”

Seven looked mildly irritated, but she relented. “If it would please you, I will join you in a warm beverage, though ‘hot chocolate’ would be my preference.”

Janeway cast a smile at Seven. Good. When she returned with the drinks and some caramel brownies, a childhood treat she never shared without until now, she saw that Seven had picked up the book they had discussed reading the night before when Janeway had come to Seven’s quarters briefly. She held it in her hand as she took a seat on the sofa, and though she formed no words, Kathryn felt pleased that Seven had chosen that seat as she moved to sit down next to her.

“Now, there is one more thing that would please me if you joined me in.” Seven cast her a quizzical, skeptical look and waited for her to elaborate.

“I would really like to take my shoes off, but it’ll make me feel uncomfortable unless you take yours off too.”

Seven paused, listening for a thought from the captain that would indicate she was not being entirely truthful, but none was forthcoming. I do not see any reason that the status of my feet should make you feel uncomfortable. But as I have no preference in the matter, I will oblige your desires.

The captain felt a little shiver go through her at Seven’s use of the term ‘desires’ but voiced no thought and only said, “wonderful” as she removed her boots.

Seven carefully watched the captain and followed suit, placing her shoes besides the captain’s boots neatly under the coffee table. “Shall I begin reading?” she asked.

“That would be lovely,” Janeway responded as she drew her legs up under her and settled against the arm of the sofa.

That look so . . . comfort is irrelevant.

“What was that?”

Seven appeared embarrassed and leafed through the book to find the starting page. “Nothing.”

“No, I definitely heard you say comfort is irrelevant. It’s certainly far from irrelevant, but I don’t understand what you were reacting to. Are you saying you’re uncomfortable?”

Seven’s instinct was to deflect the captain’s inquiry, but in their current condition this would likely prove less than successful and hardly worth the effort. “I was just observing that you look very comfortable. I felt a desire to emulate your behavior, but I discounted that desire by reminding myself that comfort is irrelevant.”

Feeling weak and exposed, Seven dreaded the captain’s response. But rather than making any big deal over it, she treated it matter-of-factly. “Well, I’m not going to have an uncomfortable houseguest on my hands, especially if I can read her thoughts.” The captain looked Seven over briefly, “I don’t think emulating my position would add to your comfort, though. It only works if you have short legs like mine. Here, turn towards me and put your feet up on the couch.”

Seven was about to protest, but the captain was already reaching down to guide her legs up, so Seven went along with it, stretching her legs out in the distance between them, leaving them bent a bit at the knee, toes marking the edge of the captain’s space. “Very well,” she said, enjoying the feel of the plush couch arm at her back and the extension of her legs.

As she picked up the book and scanned the page for the beginning place, she felt the captain take hold of her feet and draw them across her lap. She looked up. What are you doing?

Looking down at her hands, the captain answered, “I suppose I was going to rub your feet, if that’s alright.” She didn’t wait for approval and began slowly massaging Seven’ feet through the thick, silky material of her socks before taking them off to make the experience even better.

Wow! Seven thought as the sensation sent a wave of pleasure through her body.

Wow? Janeway turned immediately to Seven, her mouth agape. Seven, you said ‘wow’! Shoot, that’s impolite. Sorry. She quickly looked away, embarrassed.

Seven broke the silence. “It is alright captain. I understand your surprise. I believe I have assimilated a wider vocabulary than I currently utilize in my speech.”

Well, you learn something new every day, the captain mildly noted to herself as she resumed her massage of Seven’s feet while Seven decided to forgo further conscious thought about this new wonderful physical pleasure and turn to the reading of the novel.

Seven read for an hour or so before the captain offered to take over. When Seven repositioned herself to hand the book over, she took note of Janeway’s feet sticking out from under her body. There was no point in ruminating over the offer, as the captain would hear the entire internal monologue she would normally run through at a time like this. “Captain, I would like to ‘return the favor’ by massaging your feet.”

The captain looked at her gleefully and wasted no time in repositioning herself so that her feet lay in Seven’s lap. “Great. Thanks, Seven.” Her words were simple, her thoughts focused on the book, but Kathryn’s heart was beating quickly as her senses were overwhelmed with the pleasure of Seven’s touch. It had been so long.

The captain’s voice was beautiful, rich, relaxed, personal, and emotional. It enveloped Seven as her hands sought out ways to communicate her pleasure. Soon the story drew her back in, and she lost track of time. After a while, Kathryn became fatigued and asked Seven to continue, not wanting to stop reading but not ready to retire for the evening either.

As Seven returned to reading the story with pleasure, she became lost in its words, and eventually began to notice the rhythm of the captain’s breathing. She paused, listening for any thought to come from the captain, but there were none. She realized that she should return to her quarters, but the moments passed without her making any move to do so. Finally, she had a moment of quiet. She could allow her thoughts to wander in any way she chose, or didn’t choose for that matter. No more choices. No more control. She felt happy. She had no desire to do anything that would change the perfection of this moment, so she stayed, long enough that she began to notice the signs of sleepiness, a state of consciousness she was just beginning to become familiar with. Her thoughts no longer completed themselves, and they lost coherence with each other. She might soon fall asleep. But she didn’t want the captain to remain sleeping on the couch, as it would be detrimental to the quality of her sleep.

Groggily, Seven rose and slid her arms beneath the captain’s body, lifting her gently and purposefully from the couch. She walked toward the bedroom and heard the hiss of the door and was pleased to note that no thoughts came from the captain. As she laid Kathryn on the bed and wrested the blankets from beneath her body to cover her, she heard the beginnings of a pre-conscious thought emerging from the captain. “. . .rrr. Don’t go.” Seven stopped suddenly, confused. She had not expected the captain to voice that sentiment, but she was tired and the bed looked comfortable. Once she had secured the covers over the captain, she walked to the other side and climbed in herself. She thought she heard the captain say “good,” followed by a sigh of relief, but her consciousness floated out of her reach almost immediately as sleep overtook her.

Day 3
0600 hours

Consciousness came to Kathryn slowly, as she laid in bed. Still groggy and curled on her side, she wasn’t completely aware of her surroundings. It wasn’t unusual for her to wake before the computer intoned its declaration that it was time for her to get up, as the years of routine had conditioned her rather well. But it was a rare morning indeed that she woke feeling so well rested and full of energy. Indeed, Kathryn’s first real thoughts were a reflection that she had the most tranquil sleep in years, and such a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing evening the night before. Just as she began planning to thank Seven for the lovely evening they had shared, Kathryn was taken aback when a soft snore filtered through the room. What the hell?

She quickly lifted her head and saw Seven’s blonde locks flowing freely over the pillow next to hers. Kathryn’s heart rose in her chest in a momentary panic. Searching her memories of the night before, quickly, she realized that the last thing she remembered was listening to Seven’s voice as she drifted off to sleep on the couch. She had no recollection of moving to the bedroom, and certainly had no memory of inviting Seven into her bed. Though, for some reason she couldn’t entirely understand, she didn’t have any objections either. For a moment, she lost herself in watching Seven sleep. She was so peaceful, so tender looking, and it was very different from watching Seven regenerate. It was strange to be watching anyone sleep, especially here. In all the years she had been on Voyager, she never had ANYONE else share her bed. Surely, she had shared quarters with crewmen during away missions, in shuttlecraft and the Delta Flyer, and lord knows they had all been stuck on planets together for days more times than she cared to recall right now, but this was different. It reminded her of something she couldn’t quite place, and being reminded felt painful and pleasurable at the same time.

The computer sounded her daily wakeup call, startling her in the process, and broke her from her thoughts. As Seven stirred softly, the captain quickly gathered herself from her revelry, the habit of thought control asserting herself. She kept things light.

“Captain?” Seven mustered with a groggy voice, still unaware of what was happening.

“Good morning, Seven,” Janeway retorted with a smirk.

Seven nonchalantly rolled over and snuggled into the covers more until she was face to face with the captain. They were so close that their noses nearly rubbed together, and as she opened her eyes to see Janeway’s grey eyes looking deeply into her own, she couldn’t help but smile. “Good morning, Captain.” When she finally realized where she was and who she was with, she became immediately concerned that the captain would be angry with her for inviting herself into her bed for the night. Seven was not used to the slow waking process that natural sleep tended to bring about. When she emerged from regeneration after a completed cycle, she was immediately fully aware. Not so with sleep. Becoming suddenly concerned with the captain’s reaction that she had slept here in her quarters, she sat up suddenly and became remorseful.

“Captain, I apologize. It was not my intention to fall asleep in your bed.” Seven regretfully offered, flustered and deeply disturbed by her audacity.

“Seven,” Janeway raised a hand to protest Seven’s defensive behavior, “It’s ok. Really. But if it was not your intention, how did it happen?” There was a teasing tone in her voice; part of her way of reassuring Seven that everything was normal. But part of her was impish, wanting to put Seven on the defensive just a little.

Before Seven spoke, Kathryn heard the beginnings of her thoughts, “You ...” She was somewhat flustered. “I did not realize how fatigued I had become until I took you to bed.”

Took you to bed. The phrase echoed repeatedly in Kathryn’s mind, sending waves of warmth and a hint of nausea through her. There had been something else. Seven had begun to say something about her. Something she had done had caused Seven to stay. The captain didn’t want to know.

Kathryn shrugged it off and quickly changed the subject. “Why don’t we have breakfast here this morning instead of the messhall?” She got out of bed and blushed when her stomach rumbled with hunger. Realizing how famished she was after such an amazing night, she sprinted across the room and began preparing for her shower.

“That is acceptable.”

“Great! I’m going to shower. Can you replicate something for us?” Janeway gathered up some personal items and tried her hardest not to look directly at Seven. There was something bugging her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Of course.”

“I’ll be out soon. Oh, and Seven?” Janeway turned around and teasingly added before disappearing into the bathroom, “Since you’re not only inside my head but also sharing my bed, I think you should call me Kathryn when we’re off duty, if that’s alright.”

The captain’s words did not appear to require a response, which was good because Seven certainly didn’t have one. She felt embarrassed by the familiarity of the situation, embarrassed by her behavior, embarrassed by her desire to be here. She left the bedroom, still confused after tidying up the bed and herself. The effects of this unusual experience had lowered her guard and it was making her appear weak in front of the captain, the person she most respected. It would not do to think of these things now, so Seven busied herself with choosing food to replicate for breakfast.

Janeway felt comforted by the routine of her shower, focusing on the sensory experience of bathing and dressing, listening occasionally to the stray thoughts coming from Seven. “Parameters, affect 9.5, stress 7.2, recent physical exertion 2.3, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats consumed in the past 24 hours: 200 grams, 90 grams, 47 grams. Recent sodium intake... the captain began to tune out Seven’s words up until something caught her attention: recent choices blueberry muffin and cantaloupe chunks, English muffin with butter, oatmeal with brown sugar, plain yogurt with ground almonds.” Seven was reciting the food Kathryn had eaten for breakfast over the last few days. What is she doing? She hurried through the rest of her dressing, curiosity getting the best of her.

Kathryn emerged from the bedroom to find Seven had replicated breakfast for them, and at Kathryn’s place she saw a steaming mug of coffee next to a plate with wheat toast and a poached egg. While she knew she hadn’t thought about breakfast options while showering, this was exactly what she wanted to eat. “How did you do that, Seven?” Normally she would have made a more specific question, but she knew that Seven understood what she meant.

Seven’s face colored slightly as she responded. “It was really quite simple. I have had ample time to observe your nutritional preferences and correlate them with behavioral and environmental variables. Though I have never observed you request this dish, out of the selections you have ever accessed from this replicator, it most closely correlates with the variables at this moment.”

Interesting, Kathryn thought, as she sat down and inhaled the aroma of her coffee, raising her fork to cut a bite of her simple breakfast. She took a moment to reflect on when it was that she tended to choose this dish, infrequent as it was. Though she never noticed it, poached eggs and wheat toast was something she ate when she was feeling very good, satisfied with herself and looking forward to a productive day: wholesome, hearty, and solid. It was food for a day when she already had all the sweetness she needed. Looking up at Seven, she smiled, and Seven smiled back. Again came that feeling, pleasurable and achy.

“Thank you, Seven.”

Seven gave Kathryn a look that she had come to recognize as a sign that Seven was pleased but didn’t really want to admit it. “You are welcome, cap – Kathryn. I am pleased you are enjoying it.”

In truth, there was little in Seven’s world that pleased her more than causing the captain to enjoy an experience. To be the source of pleasure to this woman was a kind of power that Seven had never known in all her existence.

Seven looked up from her meal and spoke to Kathryn in hopes of concealing her study of the older woman. I look forward to the hope of contacting the Moklir today. We should be coming within communications range. Their minds were beginning to communicate in a way that ran deeper than ordinary talk, and with every day they spent like this, their thoughts became more interwoven. When she realized her words were unspoken, she expressed regret for adopting the notion this form of communication was acceptable. “I apologize, Captain. Hearing your voice even when you do not speak is difficult. I feel as though a part of me is back in the Collective, and it is disturbing.”

“I know what you mean. I’m having trouble concentrating too.” Janeway reached out and held Seven’s hand. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, Seven. Everything will be fine again.”

1100 hours

This morning on the bridge had given some relief to both Captain Janeway and Seven, but not much. After Seven regenerated a few hours, she joined Janeway on the bridge and worked the rest of her reduced shift there. Janeway noticed that while they both worked in the same room and shared the same environment the confusion was lessened. Seven had taken it upon herself to recite refractile algorithms and quantum mechanic equations in her mind to ease the confusion even further. Tuvok had suggested this technique to exploit the natural humanoid ability for selective attention. As long as her thoughts were of no particular immediate importance to Janeway and the stream of information was relatively routine, the captain would be able to freely concentrate on other stimuli.

While it was very difficult to sustain that level of concentration for long periods of time, it did give Janeway the freedom of no headache for the first time in days. She also concluded that if Seven was concentrating on reciting algorithms then she wasn’t concentrating on thoughts other than her own, and thus, she felt she could think again without being afraid of divulging too much personal stuff. Of course, she did occasionally test the waters and think ridiculous thoughts to see if Seven reacted, which she never did, but she was wrong in believing Seven couldn’t hear. Seven merely alluded to the pretense so Janeway could have some peace of mind, which she knew the captain needed badly.

Tuvok forged on with his mantra, as he had continuously since the captain had asked him to attempt to contact the Elkir. “Starship Voyager to any Elkir vessels in range. We request communication with you.”

Over and over again, he thought the words to himself, keeping them steady with his breath, ever even. Staying in this constant meditative state was no small challenge, even to an accomplished Vulcan such as himself.

When a voice returned his call, he almost thought he had lost consciousness and begun to dream. He called all of his attention to focus on the voice, and his own control over his mind as he initiated contact.

“Thank you for speaking with us. I am Lieutenant Commander Tuvok of the Starship Voyager. We have recently encountered a phenomenon which we are at a loss to explain or deal with, and it has come to our attention that you might have knowledge about it which might assist us in alleviating its effects.”

The voice that returned Tuvok’s greeting became clearer, warmer and richer. “Greetings, Commander Tuvok. I am Maresh of the Elkir vessel Kalai. We can hear in your voice that your telepathic abilities are weak, so we will work to boost their resonance as we speak. Please tell us about this phenomenon you have encountered.”

Tuvok described the exact spatial readings that were present at the moment voyager encountered the phenomenon and the after affects on the captain and Seven.

“Ah, your people are not all telepaths, then?”

“No. The majority of Voyager’s crew are non-telepaths, but we are a mixed-species crew, so there are a minority of partial telepaths and empaths.”

“Indeed, it is not within our laws to communicate with non-telepathic people.”

“But you will speak with me, Mr. Maresh?”

“I am willing to speak with you, but only on your most solemn word that you are not in current verbal communication with any non-telepathic persons, nor will you report directly to any non-telepaths our conversation details other than those which I expressly tell you can be shared. And you may call me just Maresh. Our people have no need for artificial titles.”

Tuvok considered this for a moment. The captain would not be pleased with this at all. But if it was their only choice, he knew the captain would trust him to discover the nature of the phenomenon and do whatever was necessary to deal with the situation. In any case, he could not consult with her about the situation without breaking the terms of the agreement Maresh was proposing.

“Your terms are acceptable. Please tell me what you can about the phenomenon.”

“I believe you have encountered an ‘Echo of Shria and Meles’.” Tuvok waited for Maresh to continue. “A very long time ago, when our people were deaf to the speech of the mind, our fate crossed paths with a pair of dying gods. They were twin sisters, the last of their kind, non-corporeal mind-spirits. It is not ours to know what it was that had caused the demise of their kind and had brought them to the brink of death themselves, but they knew the end was near. Knowing their time was limited, Shria wanted very badly to give a gift of their power to a people who could use it to become more than what they were. The people she chose were our ancestors. Meles was skeptical and said that such a power would destroy these people. Shria and Meles could come to no agreement between them on the matter, so eventually they decided on a test. Each would infuse telepathic power to a single pair of individuals. Shria believed it would call their species to grow into something new and better. Meles thought it would destroy them. They agreed that if the people survived, they would give what remained of their lives to allow the power to suffuse through the population.

Shria chose for her pair two of our ancestors, Bontar and Alish. They cared for each other and respected each other very deeply but were in blindness to the love that lay unknown between them. When their minds were opened to each other, so too were their hearts, and they came to love each other in a way no one had ever before loved. However, meanwhile, Meles had chosen a pair of bitter rivals, Cryman and Dopar, to whom she would give her power. A fire burned between these two, a fire that they had all along sought to suppress. But when their minds were opened to each other, they were driven mad by their rage and they murdered each other. This may have had little impact, except for the fact that Meles had chosen her pair very carefully. Cryman was kin to Alish, as was Dopar to Bontar. The hatred that exploded between Cryman and Dopar threatened to tear apart Bontar and Alish. The power with which Bontar and Alish knew each other could have kindled a war that would have destroyed our people. But Bontar and Alish left the city and went into exile in the desert. There they bore each other’s sorrow and each other’s anger until they were healed. They returned to perform the death rituals for their murdered family together, and with their bodies they buried the hatred that had threatened to consume them and all they loved.

Meles saw that Shria was right, and she knew she had agreed to go with Shria to give to the people themselves. Shria melted her spirit with that of Meles and pulled her towards our home world. But at the last moment the terror of death overcame Meles and she pulled away from the planet, tearing Shria with her. But Shria’s will was strong. So they fought and bore on each other until they were shattered. Half of their spirits fell to the ground and infused our people with an opening of our minds. But the other half of them shattered and flew into the heavens. That is why only half of our people had their minds opened, and the other half remained as they were and followed on the path that would have been ours.

It is said that when deaf people who bear in themselves something akin to the unacknowledged love of Bontar and Alish or the suppressed hatred of Cryman and Dopar and cross paths with a shattered fragment of Shria and Meles, their minds become open to each other in the way of our ancestors. Without the full power of Shria and Meles, the mind opening cannot last, but often it is long enough for them to experience something of the love or the hatred that exalted and consumed our ancestors. The gift is extremely short lived, but the lasting effects are permanent.”

Maresh paused for a while, before he brought the conversation back to Tuvok. “I hope, Mr. Tuvok, that it is a Bontar and Alish you have and not an Cryman and Dopar. If it is the latter, you must take whatever precautions are necessary to avoid violence.”

After their conversation had ended, Tuvok took time in preparing his report for Captain Janeway. Maresh had instructed him that it was acceptable for him to inform the captain of the mythological nature of their explanation and that the effects of the phenomenon would likely wear off in time. But he was not to divulge the nature of what Maresh had communicated to him.

As Tuvok walked to the bridge to deliver his report to the captain, he found himself reflecting on Maresh’s story. It appeared to be nothing more than a religious myth and there was no reason to conclude it had any factual basis. Nevertheless, oftentimes “gods” were actually very different species that interacted with humanoids in ways that were difficult to understand in other terms. If he was to accept what Maresh said as truth, it would appear the captain and Seven of Nine were either bitter rivals or unspoken lovers. The latter was, of course, highly unlikely. So he entertained the former idea. He had never seen them express any overt attraction for each other, but nevertheless, it was clear that they paid a great deal of attention to each other. Though that attention wasn’t always positive. He recalled for a moment the many passionate arguments he had witnessed between the two, which was only a percentage of those he knew had transpired. Perhaps it was possible they were suppressing antagonism towards each other. Maresh’s warning stayed with him nonetheless. He was chief of security. Even if it was just a myth, and even if it was somewhat unlikely, Tuvok made a note to himself to pay close attention to the behavior of the captain and Seven relative to each other for a while.

1645 hours

Soon after Tuvok submitted his report on the Elkir encounter and the mythological explanation they gave for the phenomenon, Janeway found herself alone in the ready room thinking about her plans for the evening and becoming more excited as time drew on. As the end of the alpha duty shift rolled around, she found herself glancing at the chronometer twice. This was highly unusual, as she usually worked past the end of alpha shift. If she was in her ready room, she rarely noticed the coming and going of the bridge crew that signified the changeover. The second time she did it, she knew immediately it meant that she was looking forward to the evening time with Seven, but she didn’t want to stop and think about that. She would just proceed through the evening one moment at a time, no expectations.

But when she found herself walking down the corridor towards the mess hall, where they began their little evening ritual, and saw Seven turning the corner from the opposite end of the corridor, she felt butterflies in her stomach. And when she saw Seven smile at seeing her as they approached each other, a cascade of warmth washed over her. Not wanting to think about these feelings but too far away to just begin speaking to Seven, she counted the steps until they met, one, two, three, four, five, six.

“Good evening, Captain. It is good to see you.” Seven blushed a little as her internal monologue spilled over her words, ridiculous statement . . . have seen her all day.

The captain just smiled wider and said softly. “It’s good to see you too, Seven.”

They entered the messhall and allowed Neelix to sell them on the virtues of his latest creation. As they carried their trays to find a table, Tom and B’Elanna, who had just sat down, invited them to join them.

For the briefest moment, the captain felt a pang of displeasure at the prospect of sharing Seven with others, but she was so fond of the two of them, and it pleased her to watch Seven interact with them.

“Rumor has it that you two are just going to have to wait out being inside each other’s heads.”

The captain could feel her face forming her sarcastically pleased glance as she caught Seven’s eyes. “Yes, that appears to be the case,” she said, as she slid her tray onto the table and sat down. “Though I can think of many a worse fate.”

B’Elanna looked a bit surprised as she fixed her glance on Seven. “It sounds like you’ve been getting along rather well.”

Seven answered B’Elanna’s glance. “You sound as if you are surprised, Lieutenant.”

“Well, I don’t know. The idea of having my every thought heard by the captain and vice versa would scare the hell out of me.” When B’Elanna caught the captain’s playfully questioning glare, she quickly added, “no offense, captain.”

“None taken, B’Elanna. Seven has handled herself beautifully.”

Tom mischievously added, “Aw, does that mean that you won’t be treating us to any juicy details about the intimate workings of the captain’s mind, Seven?”

The captain didn’t hear any thought come from Seven, so either she was suppressing one or it was pure emotion in reaction to Tom’s words that caused a faint blush to appear in Seven’s cheeks. The captain panicked, what is she thinking about?

No answering words came from Seven, and it seemed like an eternity spent in this terrifying moment. Tom was only looking at Seven, and smiling as he prepared to probe her response with a follow-up question. But B’Elanna had seen the captain’s panic, and kicked him under the table to stop him. He turned his glance to her for an answer, and with nothing forthcoming he turned to the captain. Nevertheless, by the time he did so, the captain had recovered herself and was ready to move the conversation right through this little moment, “Don’t bet on it, Lieutenant.” Her tone was humorous, and the discussion picked up again immediately.

By the time they had finished with dinner, the captain felt as if she was bursting with some kind of renewed energy. She needed time to think about all of the things that had come up recently, but every time something disturbed her, all she could do was suppress it, not wanting Seven to hear her thoughts. Every emotion was still there, though, and it was getting harder and harder to keep the emotions out of her thoughts. Even this, though, she didn’t think. She just felt it. Like a balloon being slowly inflated inside her, she felt it.

Nevertheless, as she walked with Seven towards her quarters, she simultaneously felt a sense of peace, of pleasurable anticipation. Even if she was about to explode with unconscious thoughts, she felt safe being with Seven. Normally, if she felt like this, she would never have wanted anyone’s company. She would have sought out solitude, turned into herself. But she didn’t want that now. She wanted to go to her quarters with Seven, to loose these thoughts in the shared focus on the words of the literary work they were reading together. A story she could loose herself in.

And for the majority of the evening, that is exactly what she did, and it felt wonderful. But there was one moment that broke the peace. The first time Seven swung her feet up to the captain’s lap to have her massage, and she closed her hands over the silky flesh of Seven’s feet, she let a little thought escape: so soft. It wasn’t a terribly significant thought. No more troubling than so many of the thoughts she had allowed to slip from her subconscious into her sub vocal speech recently. All those thoughts, though, Seven let go of without even acknowledging, saving her from making explanations. And that is just what she did again this time. But unlike those other occasions, this time Janeway caught sight of a blush coloring Seven’s cheeks as she busied herself in finding the passage they had left off at the night before. Though she didn’t dwell on it, couldn’t dwell on it, she knew, in that moment, that Seven had not failed to notice the intimacy of this comment and that, in all likelihood, had never failed to notice any of the thoughts that had danced through Janeway’s mind of late.

When it was Kathryn’s turn to read, she welcomed the respite from her thoughts and read and read until she felt she couldn’t focus on the page any longer. When she stopped, she looked over at Seven and found that she had dropped off to sleep. Seven?, the captain thought, making sure. Indeed, even as she leaned over to place the book on the coffee table, no movement or sound, vocal or mental, came from Seven. Ah, the relief. I can think whatever I want to think.

And what to I want to think? Kathryn allowed her internal voice to wander free for the first time in so long. Seven, Seven, Seven. Kathryn watched the slumbering young woman whose head was reclined against the back of the couch. That’s all I have wanted to think of. She is everything I’ve wanted to think of. God, what am I doing? What does that mean?

She took a few deep breaths, calming herself. The only reason I want so desperately to think about her is because I’ve been denying myself the opportunity to do so, due to our telepathic link. It wouldn’t do to have her hear my thoughts about her. That would be true of anyone who I became linked with. I wouldn’t want them to know what I was thinking about them, and not letting myself think about them would make it seem as if I wanted to think about them more than I really do.

Indeed, Kathryn did think regularly about many members of her crew, and she certainly wouldn’t want any one of them to be privy to those thoughts. She thought for a moment about some of the crew, about some of the thoughts she might suppress about them. The motherly tenderness she felt toward B’Elanna, which she knew would make the young woman uncomfortable. The secret joy she took in Tom Paris’s occasional inappropriate comments or The Doctor’s over-the-top egotism which just barely hid his generosity and tenderness. Yes, these were all positive thoughts that she would rather the persons concerned not know about. But they’re not the same as the kinds of thoughts I’ve been having about Seven. The thoughts I’ve had about her have made me feel... The captain looked again at the sleeping young woman, so beautiful, so tender. Terrified.

From the very beginning I’ve been avoiding letting Seven into my thoughts about her because I’m afraid of what she might find. I’m afraid of what…I…might find if I look. She let her hands wander to Seven’s feet that were still tucked up near the captain’s position. Those beautiful feet. She touched them gently, staring at them, waiting for the courage to voice the next thought. They’re attached to a beautiful body. She turned her attention to Seven’s face. And that beautiful body houses an even more exquisite soul. She is...

She is...

No words came. She repeated the words again and again until a fullness swelled within her and her throat began to ache. Finally, the ache spilled into tears, and she sat on the couch, watching Seven, and cried. For how long she couldn’t have said, but she cried until the fullness pushed it’s way out of her and let her breathe easier again, restoring her calm. In that first moment of peace, she finished the sentence as if she knew it all along. She is...everything.

Sleep was overcoming her to such a degree that there was no more to think, no more to do. She knew she should wake Seven and send her home, but she simply couldn’t bare the idea. Quietly, she gathered the throw she kept on the couch, tucked it around Seven at one end, then stretched herself out in the little remaining space between Seven’s body and the edge of the couch and tucked herself under the other end of the throw. “Computer, lights out.” Her last thought was that it seemed strange to hear the sound of her own voice, and then there was only sleep.

Day 4
0600 Hours

Janeway woke again for the second time in as many days feeling profoundly well rested and ready to conquer anything that stood in her way. During the night she had unconsciously shifted on the couch and was now cuddled up against the young woman she knew should not have been here to begin with. Their bodies had become intertwined during the night, leaving Kathryn cradled in the arms of the woman she loved as more than a friend. She knew she had to get up but wanted nothing more than to savor this moment for as long as she could. Her back was a bit sore due to the uncomfortable position she slept in through the night, and she used that as her excuse to stay put for a few more minutes, enjoying this sensation of waking up next to Seven. Once again, her mind felt as sharp as it had in years, and although she didn’t remember any of her dreams, she somehow knew who occupied them. For a brief moment, her guard was down, and all she thought about was Seven, leaving the captain of Voyager behind and only the woman Kathryn was remained. With a soft smile, she turned her attention to the young woman dangerously close to her, glanced at her angelic features, and silently voiced the last words she thought from the night before. She is everything.

No sooner than she thought them she remembered her link with Seven, and her mind scurried to rearrange her thoughts from those of love and admiration to thoughts of being in command. She gently lifted herself off the couch, careful not to rouse the still sleeping Borg beneath her, and moved into the bathroom to shower. Her main goal this morning was to prepare a breakfast as equally enjoyable as the one Seven had prepared yesterday and surprise the young woman into thinking she wasn’t really the crabby woman she behaved like in recent days.

Out of the shower and dressed for duty, Janeway noticed Seven was still asleep on the couch. God, she’s beautiful, she thought as she stared at the peaceful form below. When she managed to break away, she walked to the replicator and hovered above it, scanning recipes she kept in her personal selections for special occasions. She was looking for something that would knock Seven off her feet but felt foolish when she remembered Seven didn’t find food as enjoyable as she did. Oh well, she considered as she shrugged it off. She was still in a pleasant mood, and when nothing was heard from Seven’s mind as she strained to listen, she no longer resisted the urge she had been fighting since waking. For the first time since being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, Kathryn Janeway sang a song. It wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t forced and obligatory the way a birthday song would be. It was a silly song, but one she sang out of pure bliss.

Keying in the selections she chose, she continued singing and wiggled her hips a bit in the process. “I’m a little tea pot, short and stout. Here is my handle. Here is my spout...” When she grabbed the dishes of fruit and waffles, she turned around in mid song and screamed at the smiling figure standing in the doorway that watched her every move unannounced.

“Seven!” she gasped as she nearly dropped the food on the floor. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”

Seven continued smiling for what seemed eternity before she spoke. “My apologies, Kathryn. I did not mean to startle you.” She moved across the small room, took the dishes from Kathryn before they dropped, and helped with breakfast by taking over the duty of setting their places.

When the meal was ready, both women sat down and ate in silence, each concentrating on the newly discovered feelings they had for the other. While it was true Seven had always been fond of the captain, it wasn’t until this phenomenon happened that she was forced into reflecting upon her feelings and why she felt the need to store them away in her cortical node so Janeway wouldn’t learn of them. Janeway, on the other hand, had to deal with facing her emotions head on and hadn’t even realized how much she stuffed her feelings for Seven until last night.

As Kathryn became lost in thought again, she was shamefully unable to look at anything other than her plate. She was still unable to grasp the concept of hiding her feelings she deemed too personal to share, considering they were all amorous feelings about Seven and very inappropriate to be having in the first place. She couldn’t help it though. She is everything. Something about that phrase summed up her whole existence this very moment.

She slowly lifted her eyes and furtively watched Seven consume her meal. It was erotic the way Seven handled fruit. Her lips curved around the strawberry she held so tenderly and invited it into her waiting mouth. Those lips...The more she watched, the more aroused she became. If she didn’t know Seven as well as she did, she would have sworn the young woman was eating this way to purposely drive her insane with desire. A small droplet of juice dripped from the next berry she bit into. Kathryn watched as it slowly slid down Seven’s chin, wanting nothing more than to lick it up. She suddenly felt her pulse begin to race, hot flashes took over her senses, and soon she became embarrassed by the carnal desire that swelled within her and made it difficult to swallow. Control yourself. When she looked to Seven for a reaction, all she found was the young woman lost in her own thoughts, though as hard as she tried, Kathryn couldn’t hear anything other than her own voice.

“Seven, are you still mentally reciting algorithms again?”

“No, Captain, I was pondering the story we have been reading. I did not mean to distract you. I will begin reciting the algorithms immediately.” She felt Janeway’s hand grab her own and watched as the very happy woman stared blankly back at her.

Seven, can you hear me? Can you hear anything I’m thinking right now?

Seven could only return a blank look and a cocked eyebrow as she had no idea why Janeway was smiling so wide.

Hokey pokey. Can you hear any of this Seven? Janeway continued testing their link and remained unable to free herself from the crooked smile adorned on her face. She believed the link was finally severed, and for the most part she was relieved, but as reality set in, a small part of her felt sad that she would no longer be as close to Seven as she was these past few days. Rumpelstiltskin, Seven, can you hear that? she sadly continued.

“Kathryn, are you ill?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you have been sitting there madly grinning for no reason that I can understand. Do you care to explain?” Silence between them in the room allowed her to realize why Kathryn was overjoyed. “Our connection is broken.”

“Yes, I can’t believe it. I can’t hear one thing you’re thinking anymore. You can’t hear me. We can think freely again. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Yes. My personal insight into your mind, your thoughts and feelings you never shared with anyone but me, unwilling as it may have been but shared nonetheless, your fears that I could comfort if you would allow me, they are all gone. You will go back to hiding your feelings, never knowing what I heard, never telling me how you feel. “Yes, Kathryn, That is wonderful.”

“I think after breakfast we should go to sickbay just to make sure everything is ok. You never know what kind of effects this might have.”

“Indeed.”

Their conversation was over as quickly as it began and they finished consuming the remaining portion of their meal in awkward silence.

Their time apart was also difficult for Seven. She buried herself in Astrometrics and had plenty of time to think about the situation she was in with the captain. If it had been any other member of this crew she wouldn’t have been as concerned, but she deeply cared about Kathryn Janeway the woman as well as Captain Janeway the officer and everything the older woman thought about her. Over the years the captain took time out of her busy schedule to spend time with her when others wouldn’t. Janeway taught her things not covered in The Doctor’s social lessons, things that she appreciated like art, music, and poetry, and helped her grow into an individual again. Slowly, as they spent more of their off time together, she began to feel a bond growing between them. She had similar experiences with The Doctor during her social lessons, and he was one of her best friends, but the feelings she had for Janeway were different, reserved solely for her. She found it important to try harder than anything else in her life to make the captain happy, not only with her performance on Voyager, but in their private lives as well. She tried to make the captain’s life easier, knowing the many worries the captain of a starship must have, all the people that rely on her day in and day out, and all the potentials for unseen problems can be stressful. Now, after having the woman she most cared for aware of her thoughts, Seven realized Janeway must have sensed some of those amorous feelings before she stored them away in her cortical node and became uncomfortable with Seven’s deep emotions toward her, almost the way a lover would care. Still, that didn’t explain why Janeway had avoided all contact with her all week. I must get to the bottom of this, she thought as she headed to the closest terminal.

Keying in commands to override Captain Janeway’s security lockout to her personal logs was something that came second nature to Seven. She had only done it once before when Voyager was approaching a suspicious wormhole that proved to be an enormous, deceptive alien that consumed spaceships. The entire crew was behaving in a possessed manner, and she was forced to discover the captain’s personal views on the wormhole, but she respected the captain enough not to make a habit of it and hadn’t invaded Janeway’s logs again, until now. As she carefully watched the image of Janeway on the miniature display, Seven was taken aback at how intense her feelings for the woman had grown since her absence. She also experienced a strong sense of guilt wash over her as she continued invading Captain Janeway’s most private logs.

When the last entry had finished playing, she knew the true reason for Captain Janeway’s sudden disappearance. She is in love with me too. She suspected in recent days the captain held strong feelings for her, but they were usually covered up quickly with something ridiculous shortly afterward, leaving her confused about the captain’s intentions. Then, after the phenomenon had worn off, the captain’s excitement caused her to conclude that she was mistaken about Kathryn’s feelings. Now, in Kathryn’s most private logs, far away from anyone’s eyes, she confessed her love for Seven and the fear that accompanied it. Nothing in The Doctor’s social lessons prepared her for the excitement she now felt. Her pulse began racing, her internal temperature rose by 2.1 degrees, and the most uncomfortable feeling in her stomach she ever encountered demanded her attention. I must speak with The Doctor immediately.

She left Astrometrics and headed to sickbay, using her routine maintenance as an excuse for visiting him. Most of her time making the trek to sickbay was spent coming up with a valid reason for not having her maintenance done as she promised. She knew The Doctor would be upset she hadn’t been in before this but also knew he would be glad she came in at all given her growing reluctance to submit to weekly examinations.

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency,” The Doctor recited as the doors hissed open and Seven strode in.

“Doctor, I have come for my maintenance.”

“Well it’s about time. I thought you were avoiding me. Have a seat.” He walked over to retrieve some instruments Tom had misplaced in his haste to end his weekly sickbay shift and get back to the bridge.

“Why do you think I am avoiding you?”

“It’s just a figure of speech, Seven. Relax.”

Seven propped herself on the closest biobed and prepared for the awkward, yet swift procedure. As her ran his intrusive instruments over her, recording her bio signs, all she could concentrate on was the last time she was in this room. It was the morning the phenomenon had worn off and the captain believed it might be a wise idea to have another checkup to make sure everything was still normal. As far as The Doctor could tell, there was nothing wrong with them to begin with but proceeded with another full examination just to be cautious. Seven subconsciously reached down and ran her human hand over the spot where Janeway sat that day.

“Doctor,” she snapped out of her trance and interrupted his scans, “I believe I am experiencing high levels of anxiety. Can you prescribe treatment?”

“Tell me your symptoms.”

“My heartbeat has become irregular, my body temperature has elevated 2.1 degrees, and I am experiencing uncomfortable feelings in my stomach.”

“Have you been eating Mr. Neelix’s creations again?” The Doctor joked.

“No. I have been in Astrometrics since this morning.”

“Well it sounds like there’s a bug going around the ship. You’re the second person today who came in with the same symptoms.”

“Who was the first?” Seven curiously asked.

“Captain Janeway. It must have been quite painful for her to come in voluntarily. She even asked for a hypo spray, but since I couldn’t find anything wrong with her, I had to send her off in the same condition she came in. Interesting,” he finished his maintenance on her implants and began scanning, only to find the same results as he found for the captain, “You seem to be suffering the same fate.”

“Thank you for your help Doctor.” She hopped down from the bed and abruptly left without saying goodbye. She decided to finish her work in Astrometrics early before spending preplanned time with Naomi in the messhall.

The smell of Vulcan incense filled the air and permeated every molecule within the room. Janeway wasn’t completely sure this was the best way to approach this situation, but given her trust in Tuvok, it certainly couldn’t hurt. She sat at a small table, holding hands with her chief security officer and friend, concentrating on a place where she felt at peace. Her eyes were closed tightly as she forced herself to block out the only light that came from a small candle flickering in the darkness. Curious, she opened one lid barely enough to sneak a peak at the man sitting across from her whose eyes were also tightly closed. The silence in the room was deafening, but it was like the sound of music to someone who was barely able to keep from going crazy the last few days due to the voice of another inside her own head. Unconsciously, she let a tiny giggle escape and all concentration was broken…again.

“Captain,” Tuvok stated, “If you cannot focus, your meditation will not be successful.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Janeway offered with a raised hand. “Let’s try again.”

“Perhaps you can explain your intentions for seeking my guidance in meditation so I can obtain a better understanding of what it is you expect.”

Kathryn sat there and thought freely and unashamed for the first time since this whole incident began. She had a few minutes to herself while Seven slept last night and again during their breakfast, but since then she had occupied herself with a checkup in sickbay to verify everything was indeed back to normal with herself and Seven and then it was back to ship’s business. She had given herself and Seven the rest of the day off to recover, but she felt guilty for not checking in with Chakotay before heading back to her quarters. He’s a big boy, she justified. The events of the last few days had left her feeling more vulnerable than she had in her life, yet nothing significant had happened. Sure, she was sharing thoughts with Seven, but both went about their normal routines during duty shifts and spent the evenings together for an easier adjustment. Their connection was broken last night while they slept, and since then Kathryn had been going stir crazy. That was no reason to become as paranoid as she was and forced into seeking out Tuvok’s guidance. She wasn’t consciously aware of why she was here, but in her heart she knew. Those feelings she discovered last night while watching Seven sleep were not platonic, nor were they the first of their kind since being mentally linked with the young woman. “Off the record, my friend?”

“Of course.”

She took a minute to gather her thoughts, being careful not to elude to Seven as the crewmember in question, then when she felt she was ready, she began retelling her suspicions to Tuvok about her improper feelings. She half expected him to laugh if it weren’t for the fact that Vulcans don’t laugh, and when she recounted all the recent times she caught herself admiring Seven more than the average crewmember, she felt mortified. It wasn’t because Seven was a woman. It was because she was the captain.

“That is interesting,” Tuvok added, using his security officer accusatory tone.

“Interesting? I’ve just told you I think I’m having inappropriate feelings toward another member of this crew, and all you can say is ‘interesting’?”

He regarded her with a look he often used in disciplining his children. With a cocked eyebrow, he asked, “Off the record?”

“Of course.”

“Is this person you talked about a former Borg drone?” He was nothing else if not direct.

Janeway’s heart beat faster as she wondered if she had been that obvious. She thought she hid her feelings well. She went out of her way to avoid contact with Seven since they left sickbay early this morning, she had suppressed her thoughts about the blonde woman as soon as she felt them coming on, and she always considered herself one of the last great Starfleet pioneers: the last person to break protocol and become romantic with a member of her crew. Since she became aware of her feelings, though, amorous thoughts of Seven had become common and it scared the hell out of her.

“Captain?”

“Huh?” She snapped out of her daze as she fondly recalled the constant presence of Seven in her mind. It was distracting, but it was comforting as well. “Sorry, I got sidetracked.”

He nodded, making clear he understood the cause of her disturbance. “I had asked you if your feelings toward this crewmember were related to Seven of Nine.”

“Would it make a difference?” she asked.

“No, it would not. However, it would resolve a dilemma I have been having since communicating with the Elkir.”

Janeway scrunched her eyebrows as confusion washed over her face. “What do they have to do with what I just told you?”

“Captain, please answer my question first and I will explain everything to you.”

She sighed heavily. “Yes, Tuvok. It’s Seven I’ve had these feelings about.” Suddenly, as if struck by lightening, she felt angry, relieved, happy, and apprehensive all at once. She knew she could trust Tuvok not to judge her and hopefully even steer her in the right path to follow: the path that led her to break free of her feelings for Seven.

Tuvok stood and walked to the replicator for some Vulcan tea and two mugs. He felt her eyes on him the whole time though she didn’t say a single word, and when he returned, he brought back a data padd he had used to record observations over the last couple of days.

“Captain, given how you view your newfound feelings, what I have to say may come as disturbing to you.”

Janeway braced herself for the worst and put her authoritative face back on. “Go on.”

“My contact with the Elkir has been more insightful than I have disclosed, and I regret withholding vital information from you. Given the nature of this information,” he slid the padd across the table to her, “You will see that my decision was justified.”

She picked up the padd and began reading Tuvok’s report about the Elkir and their myth, and when she was finished, she felt more embarrassed than angry. “Surely you can’t be serious.”

“I assure you, Captain, this information corresponds with my observations of your interactions with Seven of Nine. According to Elkir legend, you are either intensely hated rivals, or unspoken lovers. There is no disputing the fact that you do have affectionate feelings for her. However, I have been witness to your arguments in the past, as many others on this ship have as well, and it is no secret you have a competitive relationship with her. I had to make sure which category you fell into before revealing this information since mere knowledge of this myth while undergoing the influence of this phenomenon only intensifies the outcome.” Despite how Janeway tried to deny the true depth of her fondness for Seven, he was now certain they were in love, whether they knew it themselves or not. Her blank stare, whether by acceptance or shock, he wasn’t sure, forced him to end with a touch of humor. “I expected to deal with Mr. Neelix committing murder with one of his meals before you and Seven went on a murderous rampage.”

Janeway smiled at his dry humor, mostly because she knew Tuvok for a long time and learned to appreciate his sense of humor over the years. He was right, she realized. She was having feelings for Seven, strong ones at that. Now the only question that remained was, what was she going to do about it? She believed there was no way Seven could deal with romance even if she believed it was alright to become involved with members of your crew, which it so clearly was not. That’s assuming Seven felt the same way, and since she had an insider’s view into Seven’s mind the last few days, it was obvious the young woman thought about many things, none of which were romantic. There was always the holodeck for sexual release, but that’s not real. And holograms couldn’t love back, not the way a real person could, not the way Seven could.

“I think I’m going to try a relaxing bath.” She stood up and thanked Tuvok for his help.

“Captain?” When she turned back to face him, he offered his advice, friend to friend, and still off the record. “I believe you could find a worse mate than Seven of Nine. She has many admirable qualities and is quite fond of you.”

She is? His words struck her hard and again she began to become afraid at the mess she was creating. Had she been blind to something that was so obvious to Tuvok, or was he simply more observant because of his position as chief security officer? A hundred thoughts flashed through her mind as she tried to make sense of what was happening. It wasn’t until she recalled Seven’s explanation about choosing the perfect breakfast two days ago that it hit her like a ton of bricks. Seven claimed she had studied the choices in the replicator and compared them with “behavioral and environmental variables.” Behavioral and environmental variables? What does that mean? She was finally beginning to put the pieces together and believe Seven may have similar feelings when she realized the younger woman had been studying her, watching her carefully when she wasn’t aware. Her intimate feelings about Seven were shared, and there was no other choice for Janeway at this point. She was going to have to find out how Seven felt about her. But the big question was, how?

She left Tuvok’s quarters and returned to her own, drew a warm bath and indulged herself before dinner by quietly sinking into the sudsy water to ponder her life on Voyager these last few days, thankful for the extra time off she had given Seven and herself to gather their own thoughts again.

“Red, grid 13.”

Seven glanced over the game board and was visibly impressed with Naomi’s move. She was three moves away from declaring Kodis Kot on Seven, and if the youngster was playing any other person she would have won, but Seven’s enhanced acuity and superb understanding of the game’s concepts led her to an escape and thus the two eventually stalemated. “Green, grid 4. Stalemate.”

“Not again,” Naomi expressed. “You’ve been playing Kodis Kot less than I have and you’re already the best player on the ship. Wanna play again?”

“Set up the board. I will return with refreshments.” Seven got up and walked to the replicator to get herself and Naomi caramel brownies and milk. It was unusual for her to indulge in such nutritionally deficient foods in the middle of the day, but since Captain Janeway had introduced her to the delicious snack, she had been craving more of them. Perhaps Janeway’s bad habits were beginning to wear off on her as The Doctor suggested.

When she returned to the table, Naomi’s smile divulged her happiness. “My mom doesn’t let me snack before dinner, but I guess it’s ok just this once,” she said happily before taking a gigantic bite of the brownie and spewing crumbs everywhere.

“Slow down,” Seven said as Naomi nearly engulfed the entire treat into her mouth in one swoop, “No one is going to steal it away.”

A mouthful of food caused her to become barely inaudible. “I know, but they’re good!”

Seven returned her attention to the game board and made her first move. “Orange, grid 9.”

Naomi randomly placed her piece without thought since there wasn’t much strategy this early in the game. “Red, grid 2.” She knew Seven always took a while to place her pieces, even this early, which is why she excelled at the game without much experience. “So,” she said, waiting for Seven’s next move, “What’s it like hearing the captain’s thoughts?”

Seven’s mind quickly relived the last few days. The extra time she had spent with Janeway, sharing and getting to know the captain in a way no one else on board had, made her feel special. While it was true she allowed Janeway to feel at ease when she believed Seven wasn’t ‘listening’ to her as she contemplated different aspects of the ship’s business, personal feelings she had about various staff members, and personal thoughts regarding her feelings in general, she had heard everything Janeway was thinking, and one thing in particular stuck out in her mind beyond anything else: Janeway’s views regarding her. Many times while she was reciting those algorithms Tuvok suggested, she believed she heard Janeway make mental notes about “inappropriate behavior,” several inquiries pertaining to “how far the Borg implants go down,” and observations about “Seven’s complex mind.” Before she read Captain Janeway’s personal logs, she was confused by the older woman’s recent behavior, but upon discovering Janeway’s admittance of falling in love with her, everything fell into place. The Captain still hadn’t discussed her feelings with her, and for that Seven was deeply disturbed, but she knew how stubborn the captain was, how afraid she felt during their link, and how she probably needed time to accept her need for dependence upon another as she clearly stated in her personal logs. She decided for a short while she wouldn’t force their relationship into more than what it was since it was clear the captain felt uncomfortable. Her goal was to make the captain’s journey as easy and carefree as possible, and if that meant ignoring her own desires and working extra duty shifts to find faster means of propulsion and get Kathryn home to Earth quicker then that’s what she would do. However, she found it disturbing that, since their thought patterns had become separate once again, she was unable to think about anything other than the captain and knew from Janeway’s logs she was having the same problem.

“It was uneventful,” Seven answered without going into detail. Haphazardly, she placed her next piece and disrupted her game strategy. “Orange, grid 11.”

“What kinds of things does she think about? Does she think about aliens and first contact? Does she think about Earth? Does she think about the Borg? Does she..."

“Naomi Wildman, you will end this line of questioning,” Seven bluntly stated. She knew exactly what, and who, Captain Janeway thought about, and although it thrilled her beyond anything else since becoming human again, she was strongly aggravated with the captain for withholding her feelings and making no effort to express herself, thus refusing both of them the desire they both expressed. There is no sense in denying what you know. She has feelings of a romantic nature for you, her inner voice told her. She knew the captain felt the same way; she clearly displayed her true feelings that first night together when she unconsciously begged Seven not to leave. It made her feel good that with all the things a starship captain had to think about, the one thing that most occupied Janeway’s mind was her.

Clearly distracted by her thoughts and Naomi’s naive insinuation regarding Janeway thinking about the Borg, Seven became irritated at her current predicament, stood up from the table, and added with a hint of annoyance to her voice, “We must continue this game another time. I must see the captain.”

“Ok,” Naomi offered weakly. She didn’t understand why her questions about Captain Janeway had angered her friend. Grownups are weird, she thought as Seven briskly walked through the messhall doors without waiting for her response.

Her thoughts were a million miles away from the finished story as she closed the book and placed it on the floor before pouring herself one more glass of wine. I’m in love with her. She couldn’t get that thought out of her head as she silently repeated it over and over to herself, unafraid of Seven hearing her now. Several days avoiding her did nothing but drive her mind to think about Seven more. She thought about her interactions with the young woman over of the last couple of years: all of their holodeck adventures, late night philosophical discussions in her quarters, social gatherings Neelix hosted in the messhall, shore leaves and away missions, and all those shared meals in the messhall. She had the same encounters with other members of the crew, but never the same experiences and certainly never the same reactions she was having now. Seven gave her a renewed sense of womanhood and challenged her in ways no one else dared, not even her first officer. During Voyager’s first two years in the Delta Quadrant Kathryn felt an attraction toward Chakotay, and it was difficult for a healthy, sexual woman to resist the bear of a man, but her devotion to remaining the leader on their long journey home forced her into a life of solitude. It was a difficult choice but one she made and never regretted. Now their relationship is more similar to that of siblings than lovers, and as she looked back on her decision, she was proud she refrained from accepting his advances. With Seven, however, it was the complete opposite. Perhaps there was a part of her back then that knew something, or someone, better was waiting in the distance. She had never been with another woman in a romantic setting before and had never even considered it a possibility for her, but her mind, her heart and her whole sense of being wanted Seven more than anything else. The more time she spent with Seven casually, the more she longed to be with her permanently. She fondly recalled the hug Seven gave her unexpectedly after one of their adventures in the DaVinci simulation. It was innocent, but the touch sent tingles through her body and heated her insides like the hottest of fires. That’s the day you started those late night visits to the Cargo Bay, Katie, she admitted.

She closed her eyes and slowly began stroking her cheek with the back of her fingers, tenderly, the way a lover would. She wasn’t paying any attention to her hands as they took on a life of their own, roaming where they wanted as one softly outlined her jaw and the other knowing just where her intimate parts were and how to touch them. Suddenly, a soft chirp broke her from her daydreams of Seven and alerted her to a visitor at the door, inadvertently splashing water over the sides. She was quite embarrassed when she discovered she had been caressing her breast with one hand and the other hand pressed between... “Computer, who is at my door?”

“Seven of Nine.”

Those same tingles were back, shooting through her body like a sweet poison filling her veins and creating a heat between her legs that spread outward. Her original plan was to denounce their romantic feelings and break off their close connection, forcing them back into a professional relationship and allowing them to move past this awkward situation, but in her heart she wanted to be with Seven, needed to be with Seven. She rose out of the tub feeling a bit tipsy from so much wine and a little excited from some unfinished business, retrieved her bathrobe, and answered the door.

“Hello, Seven.”

“Captain, I must speak with you. It is urgent.”

Janeway innocently moved aside and allowed Seven to enter, though she suspected from her body’s reaction as she smelled Seven’s scent and gazed at her young, firm body she would not be leaving any time soon. “What’s on your mind today?”

“Kathryn Janeway is on my mind today, Captain.”

Uh-oh, Janeway feared, knowing exactly where this was heading. The only thing between her naked body and Seven was an all-to-easy-to-discard bathrobe and although it secretly pleased her, she would never admit to it. Perhaps it was paranoia setting in, but she thought she smelled the faint, musky scent rising from her excited body and tried to hide it by backing away, fearing Seven would sense it too, all the while remaining as casual as she possibly could about the situation. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Seven.”

Seven realized she had to be careful here. If she confessed her invasion into Kathryn’s personal logs, the captain would most definitely become angry and might even revoke some of her privileges, or worse yet, she believed Janeway could change her mind about the way she felt if she believed she couldn’t trust Seven any longer. She was flirting with danger and had to take extreme caution. “No, Kathryn, I believe you are fully aware of what I mean. I have observed your increased attempts to engage me in idle dialogue, you have repeatedly challenged me in various sporting events to mask your amplified pulse and perspiration in my presence, I have sensed from you for several months now a growing desire to be with me, and despite your attempts to conceal them, your own thoughts have betrayed you.” She took several steps forward so that they were merely a breath away. “I believe you are attracted to me.”

Janeway snickered out of frustration. She truly despised how everyone could read her like an open book. “That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”

“Kathryn, do not attempt to deceive me. I know you are in love with me, and your rank on this vessel and attachment to your almighty, illogical Starfleet values are the pitiful excuses you constantly use to keep yourself guarded from a romantic involvement with anyone.”

“You’re out of line, Seven,” Janeway warned sternly. She was deathly afraid of her feelings since discovering she was in love with Seven and what else she might find if she continued looking. She knew Seven was more intuitive than she gave the inexperienced woman credit for, but there was no way she could admit her feelings now. It’s not ethical, she thought repeatedly, desperately holding on to her only argument but was unable to rationalize walking away from the greatest thing to happen to her in her entire life. Despite all her efforts to talk herself out of loving Seven, her thou