Bride of Arachnia

Act I

Kathryn Janeway seethed inwardly at the construct before her. Since she and Seven had not been running an actual episode of the Proton program, Chaotica should not have been present at all. That omission had been intentional. On their last encounter, Janeway had found the evil megalomaniac rather oily and distasteful, and she had thought herself permanently rid of him.

The villain, however, had no apparent memory of being "vaporized" alongside his "Death Ray." Janeway guessed that perhaps they were in some earlier time frame, which meant that Chaotica would also fail to recollect how Arachnia (Janeway) had betrayed him. All the better, she thought, given that the holodeck safeties were non-operational.

Chaotica greased his way toward the two women. "Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People!" he enunciated with great pomp. "Welcome. Yes, welcome, my sweet." He deposited a drooly kiss on the back of Janeway's hand, which she wiped against her dress with visible disgust as he oozed past her to examine the shackled blonde. "I see you've brought me a gift."

The implication made Janeway's jaw set painfully as if she were chewing on a piece of foil. She swallowed back the sensation and went to work trying to win Chaotica over through cunning manipulation. Despite the circumstances, she hoped Seven was watching carefully and would learn something from her example.

"Sire," she began in treacle tones, "this creature is Proton's secretary, Constance Goodheart. My intent was to use her as bait for a bigger prize: Captain Proton himself."

"Yes, yes! Bravo, Arachnia! What a clever notion. Have you alerted Proton?"

"I was about to," she lied.

Seven was impressed by the speed and facility with which the captain assumed her role and "improvised" suitable phrases, which seemed to be achieving the desired effect of manipulating the hologram's actions.

Chaotica turned to his second. "Lonzak, send out a broadcast informing Proton that we have his cherished assistant. Tell him he must surrender to me within twenty-four hours if he wishes to see her unharmed."

"Understood, Majesty," the second acknowledged with a bow before retreating to carry out the orders.

"Now then, my sweet," Chaotica said, returning his attention to Arachnia and rubbing his hands together excitedly, "shall we begin torturing her?"

Seven considered that perhaps she should be concerned for her own safety, but she was too distracted by her genuine confusion at how the hologram had just contradicted himself.

"Dr. Chaotica," she objected in crisp, logical tones, "you have just indicated that no harm would come to Proton's secretary.....uh, that is to say, to me.......if Proton cooperates within the next twenty-four hours. My internal chronometer indicates that only 19.2 seconds of that period have elapsed."

"My dear, I am never a man of my word. You can count on that."

Janeway stepped in hurriedly to forestall Chaotica. "Sire...." she began, trying to keep the alarm out of her voice, "your wicked ways are legend. But....my gift to you is Proton; I would not deign to present you with so inferior a substitute."

Seven hitched a surprised brow at the disparaging words.

"Inferior?" Chaotica asked, a bit surprised himself.

The Borg gave a quick nod, pleased that Chaotica was objecting on her behalf. She did not seem as bothered by the contradiction that the vile simulation who was threatening to torture her should suddenly become her champion against the gentle woman who was trying to protect her.

"Why, yes," Janeway asserted. "This female has been damaged and apparently mended with what appear to be metallic contraptions. Here," she said, pointing to the ocular implant, "and here," she added, pointing to Seven's enhanced left hand, "and who knows where else," she intoned with a look of mock disgust for emphasis.

"Hmm," Chaotica considered. "Yes, I see your point, my dear. She does appear quite.....odd."

Seven smirked. "I was not aware that megalomaniacs are so fickle, Dr. Chaotica."

Chaotica smiled. "She is quite feisty, isn't she?"

"Too feisty for her own good," Janeway scowled, casting a disapproving glance at Seven.

"Yes, feisty and odd," Chaotica agreed, studying the young woman with renewed interest despite Arachnia's objections. "But with so many wonderfully invasive procedures and devices at our disposal, my beloved," he continued lasciviously, "wouldn't it be amusing to see where else this otherwise exquisite creature has been--shall we say--soldered?" Half his face twitched at his own suggestion as if he were trying to restrain a libido that was already causing parts of his anatomy to jerk uncontrollably.

"Certainly, my.....sadistic one!" Janeway dissembled with a barely concealed grimace. "But I thought to conduct the inspection myself so as not to sully you with so middling a task on such a worthless female. After all, Proton is the real prize."

Seven felt her face flushing with some undefined emotion, and although she couldn't understand why she was so unsettled by Janeway's comments, she had an unaccountable desire to object vehemently--perhaps even physically--to this undeserved characterization of herself. In fact, she was fairly certain she wanted to strike the captain.

"Indeed," Chaotica offered pensively.

Janeway noticed that his expression seemed skeptical, and she worried that perhaps he was sensing her subterfuge.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

"Pardon?" Janeway asked, forgetting herself for an instant.

"I am no fool, my dear."

Janeway swallowed nervously, and even Seven seemed a bit wide-eyed as she looked on, forgetting her irritation at the captain's earlier words of disdain.

"Arachnia," he continued with a leer, "I do believe, despite your protests, that you are rather captivated by your captive."

That wasn't quite what Janeway and Seven had been expecting. Janeway was baffled, not knowing how precisely to respond, while Seven felt unaccountably pleased by the suspicion.

"And by the fond look on this girl's charming face," he observed further, "I dare say the feelings are mutual."

Janeway couldn't help turning towards Seven to see if what Chaotica was saying were true. She noticed Seven blush and avert her eyes, a reaction which promptly nonplussed the captain.

"Very well, ladies," Chaotica continued. "I will not interfere with the course of true lust. You may proceed with the inspection of your prisoner, Arachnia. I will merely supervise."

Just then, Lonzak politely cleared his throat to get his master's attention. While Chaotica busied himself with his subordinate, Janeway took the opportunity to conspire with Seven.

"I'm not going to let him put you through this 'inspection'," she vowed quietly.

Since it would be Kathryn actually conducting the inspection, Seven found the whole idea quite appealing. The oh-so-very-proper captain, however, seemed a little too appalled by it, so the young woman countered the captain's objections by presenting her with a tactically sound assessment of their situation.

"Kathryn, with the safeties off and no weapon you can use for protection, you should not risk an open confrontation with Chaotica and his men."

"Do you have a different plan?"

"Yes. I believe we should 'play it close to the breast'," Seven suggested.

Janeway did a doubletake.

At the Doctor's suggestion, the Borg had recently begun to pepper her comments with cultural idioms and expressions to help make her crisp and technical style of speaking more conversational. Janeway couldn't tell, however, whether in this instance, the young woman's mistaken word choice was an intentional pun.

"Uhm, don't you mean 'close to the vest'?"

"I do not."

"Oh."

"Neither of us is wearing a vest."

"I know."

"Therefore, the typical expression is imprecise under the present circumstances."

"I see."

"And 'breast' seemed more apposite."

"Of course."

Seven cocked her head inquisitively. "Does the expression lose something in my translation?"

Janeway couldn't help darting a quick look at Seven's bountiful chest before responding. "Quite the opposite, I'd say."

Seven perceived the implied compliment. "Thank you, Kathryn," she said with a shy smile.

"You're welcome," Janeway responded politely. "Please continue."

"I do not perceive any harm in Chaotica's proposal. After all, he wishes merely to watch. Therefore, I suggest you 'have your way with me'."

Janeway swallowed audibly.

"Have I used that phrase incorrectly?" Seven asked concerned.

"Uh, that depends. What exactly are you suggesting?"

"That you remove all of my clothing and explore my body in a sexually explicit manner," she responded matter-of-factly.

Janeway gulped again.

"Is that not what he expects?" Seven added innocently.

"Yes," Janeway acceded nervously. "It is."

"Than I have used the phrase correctly," Seven noted proudly.

Janeway was dismayed that the young woman seemed more concern with semantics than with the content of what she was saying. "Seven, you have no idea what you're suggesting," she protested. "You could be hurt by this!"

"Not if we 'role-play', Kathryn," the young woman observed. "Did you not say that you wished me to learn how to do that?"

Kathryn looked rather at a loss. "Seven, have you ever....you know?....."

"Copulated?" the Borg offered evenly.

Kathryn winced. "Yes."

"I have not."

"Have you ever been.....uhm, fondled?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"A kiss on the lips?"

"Never."

"If I....touch you in any of these ways, even if we're just role-playing," Janeway explained patiently, "there may be emotional repercussions....for both of us."

"You mean, we could develop 'feelings' for each other."

"That's one possibility," Janeway agreed.

"There are other possibilities?" Seven asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes. One of us could develop feelings that the other can't return."

Seven hadn't considered that. She already knew that she had strong feelings for the captain, and she secretly hoped that the present circumstances would give her an opportunity to express those feelings. She had not considered, however, that the captain might not return those feelings. And she felt certain now that Janeway was gingerly trying to tell her that she would not.

Kathryn watched the young woman hopefully. On the outside, she maintained the gentle facade of captain and mentor, but on the inside, she was fairly bursting with unrequited love for the young woman. Unfortunately, Seven's inexperience and her status as a member of Janeway's crew complicated matters enormously. Kathryn could never allow herself to make the first move, fearing Seven would acquiesce simply owing to the older woman's rank and the sway she had over her young charge. Which is why she had been patient all these many months, at most encouraging their friendship and hoping that Seven would eventually take the next step. Her greatest fear, however, was that the former Borg would never develop emotionally, that she would never be able to feel love, would never be able to return Kathryn's feelings. And it was this that Kathryn meant by "emotional repercussions."

"I understand," Seven said, managing thoroughly to misunderstand the captain's true feelings. "However, Kathryn, I do not believe we can afford to concern ourselves at present with the 'emotional repercussions' you mention. We will have to 'cross that bridge when we come to it'. In the meantime, I believe our best course of action under the present circumstances is for me to portray the 'damsel' and for you to 'distress' me."

Despite her discomfort at the suggestion, Janeway couldn't help smiling fondly at the Borg's earnestness....and her rather quirky way of putting things. "Perhaps that would be the safest way to proceed," she relented.

"And it would have heuristic benefits," Seven added, almost cheerfully. "I would learn how to 'act' by actually endeavoring to do so. Certainly, the 'motivation' is present," she suggested, casting a disdainful glance towards Chaotica.

Janeway gave a humorless snort in response, and then stifled her concerns, trying to throw herself into the part once more as Chaotica returned.

"Well, my dear, Proton has been informed of Miss Goodheart's predicament, but he has not seen fit to pay us the courtesy of a response. Better get on with the inspection, Arachnia: we may have to torture her, after all," he said matter-of-factly, as he deposited himself on his nearby throne, casually skimming an imperial report. After a moment, he noticed Arachnia hadn't moved and added as an afterthought, "Shall I have my guards assist you in undressing her?"

"No!" Janeway blurted, then remembering herself. "Sire, we must not allow Proton's silence to intimidate us into altering our schedule. Whether or not Proton surrenders, this creature is ours to do with as we please....and at our own leisure," she purred in languid tones. "Why rush the inevitable? Anticipation," she explained, eyeing Seven suggestively, "is such a pleasant sensation."

There was more than a hint of sincerity in the comment, and in the way it lingered between the two women as their gazes locked for a moment.

Chaotica's fiendish grin widened. "Quite right, my dear. Miss Goodheart is not going anywhere. Proceed at your leisure," he commanded with a half dismissive wave of his hand as he returned to the report.

"I don't know where to begin," Janeway muttered, half to herself. She hadn't meant to say that aloud and deeply regretted it when Chaotica offered a suggestion.

"Those breasts look extremely inviting, my queen," he observed casually as he glanced up from his papers. "Why don't you just reach out and give them a good squeeze?"

"Why don't you just put a sock in it?" she retorted under her breath.

"I didn't quite catch that, my dear."

"I said, 'I wish that I had thought of it'," she lied, smiling sweetly. "How cleverly fiendish of you, Sire."

She looked at Seven a little pleadingly and also apologetically, knowing that the moment of truth, so to speak, had arrived.

Seven tried to reassure her by smiling slightly and giving a quick nod to urge the captain to proceed. At that, Janeway began to reach out with both hands, moving them slowly toward Seven's bosom.

Suddenly remembering that she had a part to play, too, Seven began her recitation: "No, stop, no, stop, no."

It was said with as little apparent distress and passion as her previous attempts, but this time, Janeway actually froze, fearing that she was about to violate the young woman in some profound way.

Under her breath, Seven protested at the captain's hesitation. "Kathryn, what are you doing?" she hissed quietly. "Chaotica is watching. You must manipulate my mammary glands!"

"You're such a sweet talker, Seven," she quipped, trying to take the edge off her nervousness. She did not hazzard a glance back at Chaotica, partly because she detested the hologram. Instead, she repressed her uneasiness, closed her eyes, and lunged forward with her hands.

The holodeck seemed to get unusually quiet the moment Janeway's hands made contact with Seven's gold-lamé covered breasts. Then, eyes still shut tight, she remembered she was supposed to give the mounds of flesh "a good squeeze." She proceeded to do so, adding a second squeeze in quick succession for good measure.

Seven gasped.

Too curious to remain in the dark, Janeway jerked one eye open and glanced at Seven. The young woman had closed her eyes, too, and was also biting her lower lip. Slightly shocked by what she saw, Janeway opened her other eye and inspected the Borg's face. The expression, Janeway noted with some surprise, was one of supreme pleasure. 'How could she be enjoying herself at a time like this?' the captain complained inwardly.

Seven opened her eyes. "Why did you stop?" she whispered, the protest apparent.

Janeway smirked back and began groping Seven's bosom with just a touch of asperity.

Seven bit her lower lip again, but this time she did not close her eyes. Instead, she stared intently into the captain's eyes.

The sky blue gaze communicated a more profound longing than the captain had ever expected to find there. Mesmerized by that gaze, Janeway became more languid in her motions, more rhythmic, more fond, until the groping gentled to a more experimental caress, palms cupping warmly along the periphery of Seven's breasts as the pads of Kathryn's thumbs massaged in gentle rotations around the hardening peaks in the middle. She heard and felt Seven shudder in response.

Kathryn's lips parted wantonly as she glanced down to see the effects of her thumbs' movements noticing the sharp outline of Seven's nipples against the silky sheen of her dress.

Seven was becoming aroused by Kathryn's caresses. The thought of that--and the sure knowledge that these sensations were new to the Borg--spurred Kathryn to become still more experimental with her caresses. Unable quite to help herself, therefore, she pinched Seven's nipples, anxious now to introduce the Borg to more of these sensations.

Seven gasped again.

Kathryn looked up into the young woman's face and felt herself smiling triumphantly. She wasn't quite certain why she felt that way. Perhaps because getting the former Borg drone to emote truly was an accomplishment to be proud of.

Seven smiled back, a look of utter satisfaction warming her typically placid features. It was only then that Kathryn realized that they weren't actually "pretending." In fact, if they continued in the same vein, this could easily become Seven's "first time." Kathryn frowned. The circumstances of this rather momentous event were less than ideal. Glancing back at Chaotica, she was relieved to find him deeply engrossed in the report he was reading. She returned her attention to Seven and studied the young woman's lovely face. The gaze was intense, unflinching in its contact with Kathryn's eyes, and the breaths were coming in short rasps through the full lips, which were parted slightly. The Borg's expression was uncharacteristically animated with curiosity, anticipation, excitement, and.....unveiled longing.....perhaps even.....desire. And there was something more in the Borg's expression that made the captain's heart skip a beat. Trust.

"Are you all right?" Kathryn asked below her breath.

"Yes," Seven replied tightly.

"I'm sorry he's here," she said with visible regret.

"I am not," Seven said honestly.

"What?!" Kathryn asked in astonishment.

"If it were not for these circumstances," Seven noted logically, having some difficulty talking through her own excitement, "you would not be touching me in this way."

Kathryn smiled, recognizing the truth of Seven's conclusion. She admitted to herself, however, that they couldn't really chalk it all up to circumstance. After all, from his vantage point, Chaotica couldn't tell how intense the contact was. She suddenly worried that perhaps she might be touching Seven a little too hard.

"Is it OK like this?" she asked uncertainly.

"Uh," Seven began haltingly, "a little.....more, I think....i-in case he looks up."

Kathryn saw through that bit of uncharacteristically flawed Borg logic. Smiling to herself, she intensified her actions for Seven's sake. Her hands moved languidly along the length of Seven's torso--down the curvaceous slopes of the young women's hips and back up until they were once again at Seven's breasts. Kathryn pressed her palms onto the nipples and grabbed as much of the mass as she could, pulling back in a tight squeeze until her fingers had groped their way to the stiff peaks of Seven's breasts, where they tweaked the nipples intently for long moments.

"Like this?" Kathryn asked unnecessarily.

"Yes," Seven hissed.

Both women were secretly disappointed at the layer of silk fabric that imposed itself obtrusively between Kathryn's fingers and Seven's nipples. It was certainly flimsier than the customary mesh the Borg wore and therefore allowed more manipulation, but the slippery fabric still made it difficult for Kathryn to get a good grip. She nonetheless gave it a valiant effort, working her fingers around a fair portion of the tips of Seven's breasts and pinching as tight as she could so that she was pulling the breasts up considerably by the nipples.

Seven balled her fists up and pulled against her restraints blindly, arching her back towards the delicious contact with Kathryn's long, nimble fingers, which were delicate and commanding all at once. That combination so perfectly epitomized Kathryn Janeway that had Seven been blindfolded and in the process of being fondled by a hundred different individuals--a momentary fantasy that made her shudder with unexpected pleasure--she felt certain that she would be able to pick out these gently-rough hands as the ones belonging to her one and only captain.

"Kathryn," she whispered ardently, her mind selecting the right pair of hands in response to the fantasy she had just imagined.

"Seven," came back the whispered reply.

"Kathryn," Seven called again, her voice rising slightly in response to a building ecstacy. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"No, no, no!" Chaotica bellowed, which startled the two women out of the intense moment they had been sharing.

"What is it, Sire," Janeway asked, feigning interest as she continued groping Seven.

Chaotica approached and began pacing in anger. "My unruly subjects on a nearby planetoid are refusing to pay their weekly tribute. They dare deny me?!" he said in sincere astonishment.

"It is their folly, Majesty."

"Yes, my dear. And their undoing!"

Chaotica absently glanced at Seven's breasts. "The cloth is beginning to impede your progress," he observed with casual skillfulness. Without a thought, he picked up a pair of nearby shears and cut a clean line down the middle of Seven's dress from cleavage to navel. Even in his distraction, he instinctively stopped short of opening the dress up completely, having developed the attitude that inspections of this nature were more delicious when they proceeded in stages.

The ample breasts burst through the parted flaps immediately. Both women gasped.

"They will rue their hubris!" he vowed, resuming his pace. "I will visit the full force of my wrath upon them......very nice," he commented, interrupting his tirade with a quick appraisal of Seven's breasts.

Since Seven's wrists were bound, Kathryn instinctively placed her hands on the young women's bosom to cover up her nakedness. Both women gasped again, this time at the unmediated contact. It had been meant as a form of protection but instantly became an indulgence as Seven's immodest and pleading gaze spurred Kathryn to resume her caresses. As if of their own accord, Kathryn's hands began to grope again. And before she knew it, Kathryn had trapped the plump, supple nubs between thumb, forefinger, and middle finger, pinched them tightly to get a good grip, and was pulling out sharply and rolling the tips expertly in a vicelike intensity.

Seven luxuriated in the delicious tightness around her sensitive nipples, eyes locked on Kathryn's as both women shared another moment, ignoring the evil fiend who was throwing a princely tantrum around them.

"Lonzak! Assemble my Army of Evil and prepare my rocket ship for immediate departure!" he ordered. "I shall smite them down for presuming to deny Chaotica, Ruler of the Cosmos!" he added thunderously. "I regret that I must leave you, my dear," he said honestly, turning his full attention to Arachnia now.

"Pity," Janeway lied sweetly, barely glancing at Chaotica as she continued pinching Seven's nipples.

"Not to worry, beloved," he assured. "This won't take long--an hour or two at most." Then gaping openly at Seven's breasts, he smacked his lips and added, "I'll be back in time for dinner with our delicious guest."

"I will not require nutritional supplements for at least another twelve hours," Seven informed him evenly, barely able to conceal the titillation she felt from Kathryn's ministrations.

"Charming, isn't she?" Chaotica observed.

"Indeed she is," Kathryn agreed sincerely.

"And quite receptive to your 'inspection'," he added, noticing the hardened nipples. "Proton will be rather disappointed you did not object."

"I do object," Seven said evenly. "No. Stop. No."

"Really, my dear," Chaotica chided. "You have not screamed even once."

"Screamed?" Seven asked, turning to Kathryn for counsel.

"To indicate your distress," the captain explained absently, thoroughly engrossed in kneading the fleshy masses before her.

Seven considered this. 'A person in distress screams. I am portraying a damsel in distress. Therefore, I should scream'. With a nod to herself indicating that she understood what she must do now, Seven took a deep breath and let out the most piercing, blood-curdling scream that Janeway or even Chaotic (who had considerably more experience in this area) had ever heard. Both of them immediately covered their ears in protection, which Seven instantly regretted since it meant that Kathryn was no longer manipulating her breasts. She stopped screaming, hoping that the captain would resume the pleasant activity. Kathryn did not.

"Forsooth, woman!" Chaotica exclaimed.

"Well, you did indicate that she should scream," Janeway noted ruefully, pressing her index fingers against the painful ringing in her eardrums.

"Indeed I did, but it is usually music to my ears," he explained with a wince. Then to the young woman, he advised, "Bring it down an octave, my dear, or I will be forced to employ a device so vile in its concept that even I have never utilized it before!"

"What?" Seven asked, genuinely impressed by the threat.

"A muzzle," he spat.

"I will comply," she assured, almost contritely.

"Well, my queen, I must not tarry here longer. While I am away, introduce this creature to the wonders of my 'Cradle of Persuasion'. It is a most remarkable device."

"What a shame you'll miss the best parts of the inspection," Janeway noted sarcastically, unable to resist the temptation to rub it in.

"Oh, my dear, how well you understand me," Chaotica smiled. "But fear not. I won't miss a moment of the inspection. My imagizers will record everything......in intimate detail!" he added with a leer.

"What a relief," Janeway said ruefully, internally kicking herself.