III.

“Strip,” Jenkins demanded.

Seven looked mazed for a moment. “Get out of that biosuit if you want to save the EMH,” Jenkins rephrased, her voice calm and measured. “You do want to help him, don’t you?” Jenkins smiled.

But Seven couldn’t think about the fictional EMH any more. Desire was impairing her synaptic pathways, her own desire and the lust she saw in these smoky blue eyes. She felt as though she had lost control over her heartbeat and breath, and she realized that she hadn’t enough strength to stop this.

She slowly peeled herself out of the skintight suit, dazed from feelings which she had thought only minutes ago would be impossible to feel all at the same time.

Excitement. Fear. Arousal. Shame. Heat. Guilt.

Captain Jenkins shook her head slightly and eyed the person she considered to be Three of Eight. “You sure look beautiful,” she was leering. “The EMH certainly knows his craft. I should consider his pardon just for that,” she mused, not averting her eyes from Seven.

She closed the gap between them and cupped her hands around Seven’s breasts, slowly rubbing the nipples with her palms.

“Do you enjoy that?” she asked.

“No,” Seven pressed her lips together and tried to steady her breathing.

“You’re lying,” Jenkins said. With a triumphant smirk she reached down and slid her right hand over the wetness between Seven’s thighs. Seven’s breath and pulse accelerated even more as she felt her most intimate body part being fondled. Nanoprobes were rushing through her head. Her eyes fluttered shut and she parted her legs a bit to give the intrusive hand more room.

“That’s right,” Jenkins growled.

Seven felt the hand exploring her impassionedly. Suddenly she heard a deep groan from Jenkins and with it she felt fingers entering her. Seven’s legs turned to jelly, but Jenkins had a firm grip around her waist with the left arm while she slowly thrust into Seven with her right hand.

“More, please,” Seven whispered.

Almost immediately she felt the thrusts increasing in depth. She was preoccupied with millions of electric shocks that her nanoprobes were releasing. She knew she was close to climaxing. In one of the adult-themed holoprograms, she had learned how to delay the climax to enjoy the sexual sensations a bit longer, but the climax hadn’t been as powerful then. Right now she needed it full force and she wouldn’t and couldn’t hold back. When the orgasm ripped through her body she clutched Jenkins’ shoulders and a moan escaped her lips.

IV.

“Good girl,” Jenkins commented in a husky voice as she backed off. “Now dress and get out.” Jenkins inhaled deeply.

She allowed herself a good eyeful of naked ex-Borg before she sighed. “Computer, unlock doors, authorization Jenkins alpha three.”

Seven stared at her, noticing her widened pupils and ragged breath.

“You’ll get your chance to return the favor,” the Captain of the Starship Vortex answered her unsaid question.

She smirked and with the right hand she wiped away some drops of sweat from around her mouth. The smirk broadened into a salacious grin.

“Good girl,” Kathryn Janeway whipped sweat from her face, breathing heavily.

If she hadn’t been busy slowing her breathing she would have noticed that Seven of Nine stared at her as if she were the Borg Queen herself.

“You’re getting better every time,” Janeway acknowledged. She tried to keep from smiling smugly, but failed.

“Obviously not good enough,” Seven replied, getting increasingly annoyed as she saw her opponent’s smirk.

She was not only aggravated by the fact that she had just lost a velocity game again, although she possessed superior stamina. She was also irritated because Janeway reminded her disturbingly of Captain Jenkins.

“Right, your replicator rations are mine, anyway,” Janeway took a perverse pleasure in defeating Seven in velocity.

“Then I have to disappoint you, I have no surplus rations at the moment.”

Janeway’s grin widened. “You want to wait until the rations for the next month are paid.”

“Precisely.”

“Well, then I should think of another prize,” Janeway wiped sweat from her forehead.

Seven raised her ocular implant.

“You know the deal was that the winner, which happens to be me, gets the prize right after the game.”

Seven sighed. She knew the Captain would not let it go easily.

Janeway thought furiously about what was of value on Voyager, but wasn’t able to come up with much more than replicator rations and holodeck time, which she had enough of.

“A song.”

“Captain?”

“The song you’ll sing on the next talent night. I’ll take it as prize,” Janeway was victorious.

Seven looked at the smaller woman. “I have not planned to take part in talent night. I had thought about taking extra shifts in engineering.”

“The day you win, you can choose your prize. As long as I’m winning it’s my choice. So you’re going to sing,” with that Janeway took her towel and left the holodeck with a spring in her step.

Seven sighed mightily as she watched Janeway leaving. She really thought that she would win this time. She probably would have won if she hadn’t been distracted for most of the time with thoughts about how similar Janeway and Jenkins were in demeanor. In fact she had been preoccupied since she had played the Doctor’s holo-novel, which was two days ago.

Seven made a decision. The best defense is a good offence. There was only one way to overcome her distraction and guilt over the sinful pleasure she had received on the holodeck.

V.

“Captain, am I correct in assuming that our relationship is based on trust?”

Janeway looked at Seven of Nine who stood near the closed door of her quarter, hands clasped behind her back. She took a sip from her coffee mug to buy time. “I hope so.”

“Then I need to tell you something, otherwise it would feel like a betrayal of trust to me.”

Janeway put down her coffee mug. “Go ahead.”

“I have played the Doctor’s holo-novel.”

“I’m surprised,” Janeway smiled with a hint of confusion. “What do you think? You must be flattered. Three of Eight is the only likable person in the novel apart from the Doc himself.”

“I did not play the EMH, I played Three of Eight.”

“Now that’s an idea. I should have played Jenkins. At least it would have spared me to get decompiled by myself.”

“Jenkins is nothing like you,” Seven snapped.

Janeway gave Seven a half smile. “I know, but Jenkins sure looks like me. She even has my scars in her face.”

“You should not feel offended. The Doctor didn’t mean to imply that it is you.”

Janeway’s smile broadened. “I know that, but frankly I don’t think you’re here to discuss the Doctor’s latest artwork. Playing his novel is hardly a betrayal of trust.”

“You’re correct.”

“I thought as much.”

Seven stiffened. “It is not the fact that I played it, but rather how I played it.”

Janeway observed Seven over her coffee mug as she took another sip.

“I have copulated with Captain Jenkins.”

Janeway choked on her coffee, causing her to cough violently. “What?” she croaked between coughing.

Seven waited patiently until Janeway had calmed down.

“I was engaged in a sexual intercourse with the Captain Jenkins,” Seven rephrased her words.

Janeway gave her a look that said she had understood very well the first time. “How the hell did that happen?” she asked sharply.

“The character suggested it. In return she promised to refrain from decompiling the EMH.”

“And you complied?” Janeway’s voice got a raspy edge.

“Obviously,” Seven answered coolly.

“Why?”

“It was a logical course of action. My goal was to save the EMH and this was what I had to do.”

Janeway now jumped up from the couch and started pacing through the room. “Seven, there’s nothing logical about being coerced into doing such a thing. You should have ended the program.”

“It was my free decision to proceed,” Seven said, sounding defensive.

“That’s not a healthy way to explore your sexuality!” Janeway burst out. She emphasized the weight of her words by waving her arms.

“What is then? The Fair Heaven program?” Seven demanded, sounding aggressive now.

“You can hardly compare that,” Janeway shouted. “The characters in the Doctor’s novel are over-exaggerated and comical. They’re two-dimensional. The Fair Heaven people are normal, lifelike people.”

“As normal as 19th century people from earth can be on a 24th century Starship in the Delta Quadrant,” Seven remarked.

Janeway’s eyes were burning, but Seven chose to ignore it. “I have never questioned what you, Ensign Kim and others do in Fair Heaven. It is of no ones concern what you are doing off-duty.

Janeway crossed her arms over her chest. “And why did you come here if what you’ve done isn’t questionable?”

“I do not know,” Seven snapped, turned around on her heels and left Janeway’s quarter.

VI.

Seven went back to Cargo Bay 2. She occupied herself with writing the weekly report, but unluckily her intellectual capacity was big enough to ponder about recent events at the same time. While tapping data into her console with inhuman speed she considered that losing in velocity, being obliged to perform at talent night as a result and having unresolved issues with Janeway all in one day was certainly not bringing her closer to perfection, and perfection in every respect was exactly what Seven of Nine strove for.

Speaking of perfection, Seven reminded herself, she should perfect the slide show she had started to prepare nearly two years ago and had been revising ever since. The slide show was a part of her favourite fantasy regarding her beloved Captain. It was made to be played on the big screen in astrometrics to Janeway and had the name ‘Delta Quadrant Beauties.’ In this fantasy Seven would show Janeway various stellar phenomena of the Delta Quadrant which were considered aesthetically pleasing, then would go on to display some wormholes, which she knew Janeway was particularly fond of. Then pictures of Seven of Nine herself would be displayed, beginning with the formfitting, sleeveless sport dress and ending with her topless, covering her breasts with her hands, pushing them up ever so slightly. In the fantasy Janeway knew very well how to admire beauty. Convinced by the exciting show, she would then indulge herself in the beauty at hand, which happened to be her astrometrics officer.

Seven fancied the idea of being laid on the platform of the large view screen. Janeway for some reason would be wearing the standard Starfleet tank top and be sweaty and a little dirty, as if she had worked a whole shift in engineering. Seven felt liquid fire erupt in her stomach when she thought of a sweaty Janeway bending over her, kissing her throat and roaming her body, only to end up where Seven was most hot and needy by that point. She would do all this with her small yet very capable hands. Janeway would tell her that she was the most resourceful astrometrics officer she ever had, and Seven would then, of course, remind her that she was the only astrometrics officer she had ever had.

She sighed. She still needed to find the perfect final picture that could serve as background while they were engaged in a sexual intercourse on the platform. Perhaps a star going supernova would be appropriate.

Seven was determined to at least have Janeway watch her ‘Delta Quadrant Beauties’ presentation. She would give the file to her after she had won her first velocity match, and advise her to watch it in the privacy of her quarters. This probably would make the Captain aware of Seven’s advantages, if she wasn’t already well aware.

The ex-Borg sighed. After the latest discussion with her Captain she doubted if Janeway would be willing to appreciate the very special beauties of the Delta Quadrant. But after all, Seven encouraged herself, Janeway was an explorer by heart.

VII.

After Seven had left, Janeway stared into the room for a while, then walked to the couch and sat down. Thoughts were spinning through her head like a velocity disk, except she wasn’t in control of the disk. She let herself fall back on the seat cushion, her feet still on the floor, one hand hanging down on the deck.

Seven. Was it a good or a bad thing that Seven had had sex with a holo-character who looked exactly like her? Was it good or bad that she had confessed to her? What did she mean to accomplish by it? Was it good or bad that she obviously had come to her own conclusions about Fair Heaven?

The Doctor. First Janeway was shocked and saddened by his holo-novel, but she tried to tell herself that he had his reasons to write his thinly disguised autobiography in such a dramatized fashion. She told herself that there was no reason to feel insulted. Sure, there were elements of truth in it. Sometimes every possible strategy was somehow wrong and yet right. Janeway thought of Tuvix. And sometimes a captain makes a decision with best intentions only to discover that she made an error in judgment. Unlike Tom Paris, she really didn’t feel insulted by the portrayal of her alter ego.

Not until now. Not until she realized what the Jenkins character was capable of. No doubt she had seen the look which Jenkins had given Three of Eight, but at the time she had discounted it as a tool to make Jenkins look more evil and give the last scene a dramatic edge. And what did the Doctor mean to imply by giving Three of Eight some sort of slave girl look? Was he jealous and therefore made Jenkins abuse her position by having her way with Seven’s alter ego? It bothered Janeway deeply that the Doctor had shaped a character after her who was not only an immoral dictator but who also abused her authority by taking advantage of her officers—a certain astrometrics officer, to be accurate.

Janeway stared out of the window. She saw the stars passing by as stripes due to Voyager’s warp speed. She was not supposed to deal with the EMH as a person. In the Alpha Quadrant an EMH was a piece of technology. No one would have the idea to let him evolve into an individual, to let him sing operas, to let him love and hate and to let him write greasy holo-novels. She was not supposed to deal with a human ex-Borg. A Borg is supposed to be an ultimate threat, not a friend. She was not supposed to lead a crew that was half Starfleet, half Maquis. Last but not least she was not supposed to be in the Delta Quadrant—or was she?

Janeway realized that maybe she had less control over her life than she liked to admit. She probably was just a plasma conduit in a starship called Galaxy. She couldn’t do much about it, had to accept her fate as it unfolded before her, occasionally take chances and succeed. Or not.

As she watched the stars passing by, she decided that she should resolve something tonight, before morning (on board) dawned and she would once again feel that control is more important than life itself.

VIII.

Cargo Bay 2 was dipped in green light as Kathryn Janeway had come to know it over the past four years. Seven of Nine was regenerating. Janeway couldn’t help but ask herself if Seven was dreaming on a regular basis and if so, what she was dreaming about? Janeway watched her for a moment. Seven looked surreal in her alcove, like a statue in a museum, which was made to be admired, but not touched or possessed. Janeway ended her regeneration cycle.

“Regeneration cycle incomplete,” the computer voice anounced.

“Captain,” Seven stepped out of her alcove.

“I would like to continue our conversation,” Janeway began.

“As you wish.”

“Given that we spoke about trust and betrayal, I want you to know that I knew about the…” Janeway paused while she searched for the right words, “experiments on social interactions you were conducting on holodeck two several weeks ago. I noticed the changes in your behavior. I was not the only one. B’Elanna, Harry, Tom. I was worried and consulted the Doctor, and he told me about what happened. He was concerned as a friend. I thought I should tell you this, since you were honest enough to tell me about your latest, well, adventure on the holodeck.”

“I know you knew,” Seven said simply. Not angry, not relieved, just matter-of-fact.

Janeway’s eyebrow flew up. “How so?”

“In your ready room, when we talked and I told you I was working on a gravimetric array, I felt as though you were hiding something. I thought you might know that I was lying. Call it a hunch.”

Janeway’s eyebrows curled like cobras. “A Borg hunch?”

Seven sighed at her Captain’s attempt to lighten up the mood. “I found your offer to lend me a hand to be peculiar.”

Janeway tried hard not to smile. “Oh, sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“My suspicion was confirmed when you never attempted to follow through with it. Why didn’t you said anything when you already knew what I actually simulated?”

“As you said, it is of no one’s concern. I felt I had no right to know this unless you told me. I felt guilty over speaking with the Doctor about it.”

“I felt guilty as well, not just because I lied to you.”

“I know.”

“You’re disappointed, you feel deceived.”

“No, I don’t, really. I just wondered.”

“He was the most logical choice,” Seven sounded defensive.

“I didn’t said anything, Seven,” Janeway smiled reassuringly.

She also smiled inwardly; the most logical choice sounded more like an experiment as opposed to a serious idea. Anyway, it was not as if she had never experimented on the holodeck.

“I also must apologize for criticizing you about Fair Heaven. I had no right to do so.”

Janeway sighed. “Actually, you probably did.”

“At least you never lied to anyone about it.”

They looked at each other.

“It is unsettling,” Seven started again. “The holodeck is meant to provide entertainment and relaxation and yet it causes so much stress.”

“You certainly have a point there.”

“Perhaps.”

“So why did you feel it was necessary to tell me about your latest holo-novel adventure?” Janeway knew that she was sometimes just too curious for her own good.

Seven swallowed hard. “Probably because Captain Jenkins has your eyes, your voice, some of your gestures,” Seven inhaled deeply, her chest rising. “It has a strong appeal to me to see the lust in your eyes, to hear the edge of desire in your voice, to see you,” Seven swallowed again, “enjoying me.”

Janeway just stared at the ex-Borg.

“Captain, I hope you do not think less of me now.”

“Of course not,” Janeway said without hesitation.

“Thank you.”

“I appreciate your openness, Seven.”

Seven nodded, smiling contentedly. “Good night, Captain.”

Janeway gave Seven a puzzled look when she made no move to step into her alcove. For the first time today she really looked into Seven’s watery blue eyes. She understood that tonight she was not going to tuck in the ex-Borg as usual. She shook her head just slightly and smiled.

“Good night Seven.”

As Janeway walked out of Cargo Bay 2 she heard Seven’s words in her head. The idea of Seven of Nine feeling aroused by the thought of her approaching her with desire launched a space race in Janeway’s stomach that was heading directly to her loins. Right now she needed a long, hot bath.

FIN.