Joy of First Contact

Conclusion

 

Voyager continued its journey towards the Alpha Quadrant at a cruising speed of warp seven. All systems were functioning at optimum levels. Captain Kathryn Janeway felt pleased that the Christmas celebration seemed to work its magic on the crew and here it was only days away from the beginning of a New Year had they been back on Earth. She wondered if Neelix would ask permission to host another traditional celebration, that being a New Year’s eve party. Long-range sensors indicated there was nothing in the immediate vicinity for Janeway and the crew of Voyager to be concerned with and it seemed only fair that she alert Neelix to the possibilities of initiating the festivities.

"Janeway to Neelix."

"Yes, Captain," he quickly replied.

"Please meet me in my ready room."

"At once, Captain."

Captain Janeway leaned back in her chair and sipped at her coffee. All thoughts of finishing the personnel reports were banished as she contemplated the idea of another party. She tried to remember the last New Year’s Eve party she had attended and was astounded to realize that she had still been a cadet at the Academy and her date had been Hobbes Johnson, her friend of many years. They had double dated with another couple and had attended the annual New Year’s dinner and dance. She had agreed to go with Hobbes knowing that she still felt that she owed him for defending her to her father when she had been stubborn about diving in the quarries on Mars Colony. That seemed like such a long time ago now and Kathryn had changed so much over the years.

The door to her ready room chirped and she bid Neelix to enter. He was his usual cheerful self, she noted.

It never ceases to amaze me that he remains so optimistic after knowing how much he has lost during his lifetime, thought Janeway.

"Captain?" he began, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact there is, Neelix. In your research into the data banks did you come across references to New Year’s Eve and the celebrations associated with it?"

"I certainly did, Captain. I was rather hesitant to ask you about a second celebration so soon after the Christmas holiday."

"Well, Neelix, I think it’s a great idea. And since you did such a wonderful job putting together the last event, I want you to coordinate this occasion as well. However, I would like Voyager to have a real dance. What do you think?"

"Captain, I think it’s a wonderful idea. I think the crew really enjoyed Christmas and this will be like frosting on the cake as Mr. Paris likes to say."

Neelix was beaming. He took his role of morale officer aboard Voyager very seriously and placing him in charge of developing a party was pivotal to its success. Captain Janeway knew that she had a born organizer of social events in her midst and she was quite willing to let him be in charge of such occasions. Since there were no alien races to which he could conduct himself as Ambassador, she knew that this was the next best thing.

"Captain, may I use the assistance of Ensign Wildman and Mr. Kim? Of course, I don’t wish to take them away from any of their duties, but their help was invaluable to me for the Christmas soiree."

"That would be fine, Neelix. Dismissed," Janeway replied with a twinkle in her eye and a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

That reminds me, thought Janeway, I need to speak with Ensign Wildman and find out how she managed to make it possible for Seven and I to exchange gifts. That has kept me wondering these past few days.

Captain Janeway turned back to her personnel reports, a necessary but essentially uninspiring task. But her thoughts strayed to Seven of Nine despite efforts to the contrary. Kathryn had truly enjoyed her gift from Seven. The sleigh ride had been extraordinary and realizing how close she and Seven had been sitting in the sleigh brought a tingling sensation across her chest and abdomen even now. Kathryn still blushed when she realized that she had grabbed Seven’s hand under the blanket, holding it tightly as though it was the most natural thing to do in the universe.

The door to her ready room chimed and she bade whoever was outside to enter. Commander Chakotay entered with several padds in his hands. As he stepped closer to her desk, Kathryn knew that she really was not in the mood to work on further reports and here Chakotay was bringing her additional work that reeked of tedium.

"More personnel reports?" she inquired with a heavy emphasis on the word ‘more’.

"That as well as departmental reports. You did say that you wanted to finish everything before the end of the month," he replied sheepishly.

"This is my least favorite part of being the Captain. I think I would rather participate in hand-to-hand combat with the Kazon than be stuck reviewing reports."

"You hate it that much, Captain?" he inquired.

"I don’t know, Chakotay. I think I’m bored and I need a little diversion. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a few hours off and get the blood circulating. I think I’ve been sitting in here reading too long," Janeway admitted.

"Good idea. I’ll mind the store for you," he responded with a smile. "It’ll do you good to get out for awhile," he added.

Without another thought about reports, Captain Janeway exited her ready room and left the Bridge without so much as a look over her shoulder. She knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go. She just needed to stop by her quarters first to change clothes.


Seven of Nine had finished downloading all the data from her recent survey of a distant star system and she was satisfied that her report for the Captain would be ready for the next senior crew meeting. Much of it entailed a source of energy, which might upon closer inspection, serve to enhance the warp drive capabilities. She also knew that Mr. Neelix would receive the news with much enthusiasm that one of the planetoids was rich in vegetation. His level of excitement over vegetables and herbs never failed to amaze her, but then she was totally uninterested in such things. Still, the crew needed to function and in order to function properly, they required a balanced diet.

Seven noted that it was very close to the end of the Alpha shift and although it was not uncommon for her spend additional time on her work during the Beta shift, Seven was reluctant to begin another project. She was beginning to feel physically restless and was hoping that she might be able to find a suitable opponent for racquetball, a newly acquired game that Harry Kim had taught her. Seven immensely enjoyed the competition because it helped her maintain her peak athletic condition and it also gave her the opportunity to continuously work on her eye/hand coordination skills. She preferred a more advanced player, however.

Seven left Astrometrics and chose not to return to Cargo Bay 2 where her Borg alcove was located. She moved in the general direction of Engineering and the hydroponics bay when she noticed the Captain heading towards the holodecks. She knew that the Captain was very athletic and wondered if the she might entertain the idea of a match. Seven lengthened her stride to catch up to Captain Janeway.

"Captain."

Janeway stopped herself in mid-stride and turned toward the sound of someone calling to her. She was pleased to see that it was Seven and from the looks of her, she had a purpose for the interruption.

"Seven?"

"I was curious if you might be available for a match of racquetball. I find that I am in need of physical exertion."

"I’d be delighted. In fact I was on my way to see if I could find someone to play a game of hoverball or something. Racquetball would do nicely. I, too, need to be doing something physically exerting since I think I’ve spent most of the day in my ready room reading one report after another. Do you need to change your clothing, Seven?"

"That will be necessary. Give me five minutes, Captain … please," Seven added.

Kathryn keyed the computer for the requirements needed to play the game and waited patiently for Seven to join her. She picked up the racquet and ball and decided to take a few practice swings just for the feel of it. Soon enough the doors to the holodeck swished open and in strode Seven wearing a one-piece short-sleeved suit. Her long arms and legs were exposed revealing a formidable musculature in the woman. Seven had chosen a pair of athletic footwear that laced up the front of her ankles and shins. She, too, picked up a racquet and ball and took a few practice swings as a way of warming up for the match. Kathryn watched her move and realized that Seven was as graceful as she was powerful. This would definitely be a match of physical exertion and cunning strategy, which was just fine by Janeway. She knew that she needed to unwind and while she hadn’t played racquetball in quite some time, this would prove to be an enjoyable experience.

"Ready to play?" Janeway asked.

"Ready, Captain."

The match began with Janeway serving first. The two women worked hard for each shot and every time that Janeway thought she had outmaneuvered Seven, Seven was right there to cover the ball and hit a return shot which made Kathryn stretch further and hit even harder. By the time the first two games of the match were over, Janeway was breathing heavily. She looked over at Seven who seemed to have not even broken a sweat. The score was even at one game apiece.

"Do you require a period of rest, Captain?"

"Not in the least. You?"

"I am quite capable of continuing the match," Seven replied.

"Then let’s do it!" Kathryn emphasized.

Both women resumed play with a vigor that Janeway hadn’t experienced in recent years. Her muscles burned with every shot and her legs were beginning to protest. She ignored any indication of pain and continued on with more drive, pressing every advantage she could take, working every angle of the court forcing Seven to match her. And, Seven matched her shot for shot.

Although she wasn’t breathing hard or sweating as profusely as the Captain, she quickly realized that she was not the experienced player that she thought she was. The Captain kept pummeling the ball with an accuracy and force that continually amazed Seven. The computer gave the score after every point or change of serve and the two women continued to play hard. Since the match could only be completed when one had gained an advantage of two points, they struggled to make each point count.

The Captain had finally won a passing shot and the score was to her advantage. Only one point remained for her to win this contest and though she was bent over with both hands on her knees breathing hard, she looked over at Seven and was satisfied to see the sheen of sweat on her arms and face.

She has to be feeling tired. I’m about dead on my feet, thought Janeway.

"Ready?" she asked Seven.

"Continue," Seven responded.

Janeway served the ball as hard as she could and was satisfied to hear the resounding ‘thwack’ against the rear wall of the holodeck. The ball whizzed past Seven to hit the opposite wall and as it returned, Seven brought her racket back to hit the ball giving it additional momentum as it careened into a corner, hitting two walls and returning at a difficult angle for Janeway to maneuver. However, the ball had slowed sufficiently from the double impact in the corner and Kathryn was able to cover the distance needed slamming the ball into the opposite wall making a most difficult shot for Seven to cover. Seven reached with everything she had but it was not enough. The ball bounced twice on the deck plates and the sound of the computer’s voice acknowledged that it was the Captain who had won the match.

"Excellent maneuver, Captain. Where did you learn that one?"

"I think I dredged that one up from my Academy days when I played tennis."

"It was sufficient to win the match and I congratulate you."

"Thank you, Seven. You’re a worthy opponent."

"I enjoyed the game and perhaps you will allow me to play you again."

"Absolutely," Janeway laughed, "but not today. One match with you was enough for me. I need a shower and something cool to drink."

"I agree."

Captain Janeway shot her a look.

"I agree that I too am in need of a thorough cleansing and liquid refreshment at this time." Seven explained, returning her look with one of her own.

"Tell you what, Seven. Why don’t you get cleaned up and meet me at Sandrine’s for a beer. With any luck we can grab a sandwich and have a chance to play some pool or at least play something that is a little less physical."

"That would be sufficient, Captain."

"I’ll meet you at Sandrine’s at say, 1730 hours?"

"Agreed".


Janeway was in her quarters changing into a light sweater and a pair of pants. She found herself looking forward to having a light supper and shooting a few games of pool with Seven and wondered about the tingling sensation in her abdomen that she was beginning to feel again. She was acutely aware of it and discovered that she was anticipating spending the evening with Seven.

"Chakotay to the Captain."

"Yes, Commander."

"We are picking up a distress signal on long range scanners. You might want to come up to the bridge and take a look."

"On my way, Commander."

It never ceased to astound Janeway that when she was ready for some R and R, something would prevent her from it. She quickly changed out of her clothing and back into her uniform and contacted Seven to say that she would not be available for that game of pool and glass of beer. Another time, she thought as she headed for the bridge.

"What have we got, Commander?" she asked as the doors to the bridge opened and she made her way to the Captain’s chair.

Mr. Kim spoke up from his operations station, "It appears to be a very weak signal, Captain. Bearing 185.4."

"Let’s hear it, Ensign."

What followed was a fair amount of static in a garbled transmission that was difficult to fully interpret. It sounded as though whoever had transmitted the message had been interrupted several times. There appeared to be a plea for immediate assistance from any passing ship; status on board the disabled vessel revealed that there was a hull breach and several of the crew were dead. Despite numerous attempts to clean up the message that was all the information that could be gleaned.

"Mr. Paris, you’ve got the coordinates. Warp Factor Nine."

"Yes, Ma’am," he answered, fingers flying across his board.

Several hours later they had come within hailing range of a vessel that appeared to be dead in space. Reports came in from all bridge stations. There were no further emergency hails from the ship and scans showed that there were no survivors. Several pieces of hull debris were scattered throughout the immediate vicinity and reports confirmed that the hull fragments belonged to the broken ship. Commander Chakotay led the away team only to report that all of the crew had died. An explosion on board had caused all the systems to fail shutting down life support and attempts made by the crew to re-route emergency power had eventually failed as well. Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Tuvok made their report quietly to the assembled bridge staff.

"There was no evidence that anyone had fired upon this ship, Captain. It appears that all systems simply overloaded causing massive explosions," Lieutenant Tuvok reported.

"Is there any danger to Voyager?" she asked quietly.

"It would appear that there is none," Tuvok replied.

"Mr. Tuvok, we have their computer logs. It would be helpful to download the information into our computer and that way, we can learn as much as possible about these beings and what may have happened to their ship. Doctor, we should dispose of their bodies properly. Please see to that and inform me when we are ready to conduct a proper service for whoever they were. Commander, inform the crew that we will be holding a memorial service for that ship’s crew and anyone who chooses to attend may do so. I wish we could have arrived here sooner," she said shaking her head sadly.

"I would suggest, Captain, that we leave a buoy to mark their passing and perhaps an explanation of the events that may have occurred," Chakotay suggested.

"Excellent idea, Chakotay. Mr. Paris, as soon as the Doctor has finished, put us back on course for the Alpha Quadrant, warp factor five."

"Aye aye, Captain."

"Dismissed."

Captain Kathryn Janeway had yet another example of how cruel living in space could be for her and her crew. She remembered ruminating about that fact several nights earlier and even though in this instance, it was not her crew that had been killed or her ship damaged, it nonetheless deeply affected her. She hoped that some information could be obtained from the ship’s computer logs to shed light on this terrible misfortune.

"Seven of Nine to the Captain," chirped the communicator on her tunic.

"Yes, Seven, what is it?"

"Please report to the Astrometrics Lab."

Captain Janeway shook her head noting that Seven had used that tone in her voice, which was a demand and a request, rolled into one sentence. However, it had been her experience that Seven used that particular tone when she had something of importance to report.

"On my way, Seven."

It didn’t take the Captain long to reach the Astrometrics Lab. The doors opened and Seven was standing at her console, fingers furiously working a padd with occasional taps to the computer console. Above her head on the screen was a star chart with the present location of Voyager and the computations for how far away the star system on display was. It seemed that Voyager’s altered course had brought them closer to this star system.

"Yes, Seven. You have something to report?"

"Indeed, Captain. As you will notice we are now closer to this star system than we were before. This is the star system I have been conducting long range scans upon and my information has now been confirmed due to our closer proximity. There is a fuel source which I believe we can adapt to Voyager’s warp matrix and Mr. Neelix will be pleased to know that there are ample food sources on the third planetoid."

"Why didn’t you notify me earlier with this information?"

"I was not convinced that the fuel sources were ample nor that they were compatible with Voyager’s. Further scans have indicated that with some modification of the warp engines, this fuel source can be used. I believe that it is a fuel that has a similar elemental configuration as dilithium ore. Until I was absolutely certain, it did not seem reasonable to inform you unless all of the data was confirmed. I have just completed my confirmation."

"Seven, that was not your decision to make. As Captain of this ship, I am the one to whom all the information is to be channeled and when I have enough information, I can then make a reasonable decision regarding a course of action."

"Understood. I am bringing you the information now, Captain."

"For future reference, Seven, I want any and all information given to me or Commander Chakotay regarding any energy sources that we might be able to use."

"You would prefer that I inform you of every energy reading, no matter how insignificant. I shall not forget to do so, Captain."

Seven stood with her legs slightly apart, hands linked behind her back and her head slightly tilted to one side. She was appraising the Captain with a stare that would have chilled others, but not Captain Kathryn Janeway. She stepped closer to Seven and looked her squarely in the eye. Neither woman said anything for the moment. Finally, it was the Captain who broke the silence.

"See that you do, Seven." Janeway brushed her comm badge and continued to hold eye contact with Seven. "Commander Chakotay, Seven has confirmed long-range scans of a small system of planets where we may be able to find some additional fuel sources for adaptation. Please report to Astrometrics and assist her with this information, including the proper protocols for alerting the Captain regarding information acquired resulting from such efforts."

"Aye aye, Captain," answered Chakotay.

Captain Janeway turned on her heel and without another word left Astrometrics with Seven of Nine, holding that same posture, staring after her. Seven knew that she had somehow stepped over another line of Federation rules and regulations to be redressed by the Captain. It was neither the first nor would it be the last time.


It was late and Janeway was relaxing in her quarters, sipping a glass of wine. She had re-read the same paragraph for the umpteenth time; it was obvious to her that she was distracted and finally she placed the book aside. She stood up and stretched, wandering over to the window that allowed her ample view of the warp field and the stars, as they appeared to flash past Voyager like comets. She marveled at the beauty of space and simultaneously felt the familiar pangs of guilt at not being able to reach the crew of the troubled ship in time to save even one crewmember. It seemed to her that ever since Voyager had been flung into this quadrant, a series of one mishap after another had plagued her and her crew. Janeway wondered if there was ever going to be a time when Voyager could just experience peace and quiet.

Well, Katie, aren’t you being the pessimist and unhappy one with whatever your lot may be? It was just a few days ago that you were complaining about being bored and that your life had developed into a dull routine. Now at least something has happened to break that routine and here you are complaining again. You and your crew tried its best to get to those poor souls in time. There was nothing that you could have done to save them. Stop your whining.

Kathryn had to smile to herself. This wasn’t the first time that she found herself having a typical conversation in her head. First one voice chastising and another one comforting her and she knew that in the end, each voice would lend credence to its position and that she would stage a truce with herself knowing there were elements of validity to be found in both voices. As she sipped her wine, her thoughts began to stray again as she contemplated Seven.

What am I to do with her? On one hand she infuriates me for not following protocols and on the other hand, I enjoy her company and look forward to when we can meet for other rounds of racquetball. I find myself thinking about her far too often and this isn’t acceptable for a Starfleet Captain. It must be because I feel so lonely on nights such as these and wish that just once I could lay aside the mantle of command and have a real relationship with someone.

Janeway continued musing and as much as she tried to banish one image from her mind, the more she visualized she and Seven sitting in the sleigh, hands touching. Kathryn realized that she was creating other scenes in her head that placed her head on Seven’s shoulder softly, gently nuzzling the warm underside of Seven’s chin, placing an ever so soft kiss on Seven’s neck. She began to wonder what it would feel like to lightly stroke those arms and touch the implants, reminders of Seven’s life with the Borg. She realized every time Seven looked directly at her, she felt an aching pierce her abdomen that sent flashes of heat and electricity throughout her own body. She wondered what it might feel like to loosen the hair from Seven’s normally tight twist, letting it cascade about her shoulders. Kathryn knew that she wanted to bury her face in that hair and drink in the scent that was uniquely Seven’s.

What am I doing? Kathryn scolded herself.

She realized that her cheeks were flushed and that her breath had become ragged. She had to get herself under control. She was an officer in Starfleet and the Captain of a Federation vessel and this kind of fanciful thinking had to be against regulations in some policy manual somewhere even if Kathryn couldn’t recall its exact number. She was aghast that she had allowed her thinking to progress to the point where she knew that if anyone had called upon her at that moment, she would have been hard pressed to appear calm and collected.

She tossed the wine and the glass into the replicator for recycling in a gesture of frustration laced with finality. There would be no more thoughts such as these for the remainder of her evening. Kathryn was able to call upon that part of herself where firm lines of discipline and training could overcome any obstacle and this line of thinking was just that, another obstacle. She retreated into her bedroom to retire for the night, taking the book that earlier she had been trying to read, firm in her resolve that she would be able to at least finish the chapter she had begun. There would be no more conjuring up images of her Astrometrics Officer.


Neelix was beside himself. He had gained the assistance of Ensigns Kim and Wilder to prepare for the New Year’s Eve celebration and now he found himself locked in a battle of wills trying to convince the other two that they needed to develop a theme for the celebration.

"Neelix, New Year’s Eve IS the theme. We don’t really need an additional one since traditionally, this is the time of the year when people look to themselves to make resolutions about what they want to do to better themselves for the coming year," Samantha Wildman insisted.

"I cannot imagine having a party with the same theme year after year. That doesn’t make any sense to me," complained Neelix.

"She’s right though, Neelix, on Earth humans celebrate New Year’s Eve every year and toast the old year out and ring in the new year with champagne and resolutions that hopefully won’t be broken the first day," chimed in Harry.

"Why would you go to the trouble of making a resolution only to break it so quickly? That really makes no sense," Neelix asked.

"Because we’re only human and we’re often made up of good intentions," Samantha laughed.

"All right then," he grumbled. "There will be no additional theme. But, we will have champagne and I think it would be fun if everyone wrote down their resolution and then shared it with the crew. Maybe that way people wouldn’t be so apt to break them so quickly."

"Not a bad thought, actually. We might need to run it by the Captain though," suggested Harry.

"It would be fun to have finger food instead of an all out meal since the party will be starting so late. We really don’t need to begin the festivities until 2300 hours, or do you think that’s too late?" Samantha asked.

"I think we should get started earlier, say, 2200 hours, since the Captain specifically requested that we include a dance. I distinctly got the impression that this was a priority with her," Neelix replied.

"Well, that’s good though. We can begin around 2200 hours and that still leaves us with two hours before midnight. The party will probably start to break up around 0100 hours anyway, 0200 at the very latest. It will give everyone on every duty shift a chance to come by, have some refreshments, and dance a few dances. We can organize the duty coverage with Chakotay’s assistance just like we did for the Christmas party," Harry offered.

"Agreed." Samantha and Neelix said in unison.

The three continued to make plans for the celebration that was now only two days away. Neelix agreed with the suggestion about finger foods and Harry promised to search through the data banks for a good selection of dance music. Samantha went to work initiating the parameters in the holodeck for the event. All three seemed to work so well together that Neelix filed that piece of information away for future reference. There were never enough parties for the crew to enjoy as far as he was concerned.


Seven had returned to her alcove in Cargo Bay 2 and was disturbed about what had transpired earlier with the Captain in Astrometrics. She had known about the proper protocols involved concerning the notification to the Captain regarding any new information learned from scans and yet, she also felt that it was inefficient to contact her with incomplete data. There were many protocols about Starfleet that Seven believed to be most inefficient and this was just another example. However, she had listened intently to Commander Chakotay’s admonishments and had agreed to abide by the protocols set forth by Starfleet regulations.

She was far more distressed over how the Captain had abruptly left Astrometrics. Seven knew that the Captain was displeased with her performance and although that was enough for self reproach, she was far more concerned that the Captain had not reissued her invitation for Seven to join her at Sandrines for liquid refreshment. She had been anticipating a pleasant evening with Kathryn.

Seven had begun to refer to the Captain as Kathryn but only in her thoughts. She had initiated the practice soon after the evening they had spent together on the holodeck during which time Seven felt that she and Kathryn had shared something special. After the match earlier in the day she had looked forward to spending time with Kathryn where they could relax and converse. The Captain was always willing to assist Seven in her education towards becoming more human and although there were times when Seven realized that she was being obstreperous, she actually enjoyed these sessions as it gave her the opportunity to watch Kathryn’s facial expressions.

When the call had come through canceling their arrangement, Seven had felt a deepening disappointment and she realized that she had physically reacted to the notification. She was aware of a penetrating ache that seemed to envelop her as she made alternative plans to return to Astrometrics and finalize her calculations. She realized, too, that she had felt disturbed at the notion that Kathryn was unavailable because of the other ship in distress, which she knew was illogical thinking. Part of her thought that the Commander should have been able to handle this situation since it was not a crisis matter. However, she also realized that Kathryn took her role as Captain quite seriously and would have preferred being alerted to the situation.

Seven knew that when she had approached the Doctor about her social lessons and he had insisted that she attempt to have a date with a suitable crewman, she was anything but overjoyed at the eventual outcome. She was convinced that there was no one aboard whom she could consider a suitable partner for a date and although this was news that was not troubling, it nonetheless left her with a feeling that she was more apart from the crew than she would have preferred.

However, Seven had begun reflecting about Kathryn in a way she had not done before starting soon after the sleigh ride. She realized that Kathryn had initiated holding her hand when they were bundled under the blankets in the sleigh and Seven had felt a strange tingling sensation at the touch of Kathryn’s hand in hers. Seven was keenly aware of how the cold air had heightened the color of Kathryn’s cheeks, making her eyes a more intense shade of deep blue. She enjoyed listening to Kathryn; her voice held that husky quality that Seven found very appealing.

The sadness in Kathryn’s eyes when they wished each other a Merry Christmas disturbed Seven in a way that she could not explain and yet, she was profoundly moved by the knowledge that Kathryn Janeway was more isolated from her crew than anyone else aboard Voyager. Seven had always assumed that only she was unique in that respect, never fully integrating the concept that Kathryn might be feeling more insular despite her position as the Captain.

Kathryn had asked her to accompany her to Sandrine’s following their racquetball match, Tom Paris’s holodeck re-creation of a French bar and bistro that he had frequented while on Earth. When the business with the disabled ship concluded, they might have still had some opportunity to spend some time together had it not been for her error in judgement regarding the timeliness of forwarding the data to the Captain. Now, Seven was certain that Kathryn was not only annoyed but also disappointed with her, and that struck deeply at Seven more than anything else.

As Seven readied herself for regeneration in her alcove, she resolved that she would follow proper procedures and protocols even if she thought the process was inefficient or illogical. She did not enjoy the knowledge that the Captain objected to her performance. That, too, was an inefficient display of her duties. The last vision that Seven saw before the regeneration cycle began was the memory of Kathryn’s face as she had looked riding in the sleigh lifting her face to catch snowflakes on her tongue. And, there was that curious tingling sensation again before Seven closed her eyes.


The excitement aboard Voyager as the day arrived for the New Year’s Eve party was a welcome relief to the less enjoyable task that Captain Janeway had had to endure regarding the bodies found aboard the spacecraft. Scans conducted by Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Tuvok had discovered that an unknown energy wave had impacted the smaller ship interrupting the power couplings causing overloads to each of the major systems. It seemed that the crew had desperately tried to reconfigure relays and energy flows but with disastrous results. Notations regarding the possible source of the energy wave, its widespread effects and devastating consequences were entered into the ship’s logs and served as reminders to the crew of Voyager that space could be as unpredictable as ever.

The memorial service led by Commander Chakotay, since he had specifically requested that honor, had been short but thoughtful. He had reminded everyone in attendance that the crew of Voyager shared special bonds with all space-faring races even when they had not had the pleasure of meeting them under different circumstances. He reiterated that no matter how strange another race of beings might appear or be, they were more alike than different and that was cause enough to celebrate their existence and their attempts to be travelers through space.

Neelix had provided trays of food and beverage and Captain Janeway had made every effort to speak to everyone who attended. The senior staff had been strongly encouraged to be in attendance and she was pleased that all were there. She noticed Seven keeping herself apart from the group and she wandered over to where she stood.

"Seven, are you all right?" the Captain inquired gently.

"I do not understand the human need to celebrate in this fashion," Seven replied avoiding the Captain’s eyes. "You did not know anyone aboard that ship."

"Humans have the need to express their condolences for anyone who has died and doing it in this way helps us all to overcome any fears of our own mortality despite knowing that someday we, too, will die."

"But, you did not know any of these beings," Seven repeated.

"That may be true, Seven, but we regard it as being more civilized of ourselves if we can recognize and celebrate the lives aboard that ship instead of ignoring them and only moving on," Janeway said, her voice taking on that husky quality that once again gave Seven that tingling sensation.

"I do not understand the significance. When a member of the Collective ceases to function, other drones do not celebrate its life. That would be an inefficient use of time and energy."

"But, Seven, the Borg act in unison, as one thought, one energy, almost as one life instead of the many different lives that were on board that ship. Each one was a separate being, unique, different and therefore, their death needed to have some celebration that at one time they had held life and purpose. Even though we may not have known this particular race of beings, it’s important that we recognize that all beings that venture out into space, have taken a challenge to explore and reach beyond their own worlds and in doing so, we recognize those challenges because of who we are. It is our humanness that gives us that right, if you will, and which gives us our strength to continue." Captain Janeway explained.

Switching topics, Janeway asked, "Seven, will you be attending the New Year’s Eve celebration?"

"What makes you ask?" This time Seven looked directly at the Captain and held her gaze with an unrelenting gaze of her own.

Janeway was having difficulty maintaining such intense eye contact with Seven. She felt a familiar stirring within her but once again she maintained an impassive expression. There was something to be said for command training and she was leaning heavily upon it at the moment.

"I think it will be good for everyone in the crew to make an appearance. Neelix tells me that we will all be expected to write out a resolution to share with the crew. I have been thinking that that idea has merit riding on the heels of this service. Do come. I think you’ll find it educational as well as meaningful."

"I will consider your request, Captain."

Seven spoke softly as she watched the Captain move away and speak to other crewmembers in attendance. Seven knew about the celebration. It was all that everyone seemed to talk about. She had never known any race like the crew of this ship who enjoyed a celebration so much and looked for reasons to engage in such frivolity. Naomi Wildman had already made Seven promise that she would be at the celebration since her mother had given Naomi special permission to stay awake until the stroke of midnight. And although Seven did not fully understand the significance of midnight and what the evening might bring, she knew that she would be there, not only for Naomi, but also for Kathryn.


Captain Janeway had finished her duty shift and was preparing to grab a light dinner in the mess hall before returning to her quarters to change and ready herself for the evening’s festivities. The doors to the turbolift opened and there stood Ensign Wildman.

"Captain," the Ensign greeted.

"Ensign Wildman. I’ve been meaning to take the opportunity to speak with you. Are you busy at the moment?"

"I just finished my duty shift, Captain. How can I help you?" she inquired.

"Walk with me, please, Ensign. You know, I never was able to figure out how Seven and I, out of 140 crewmembers aboard, somehow received each other’s names for the Secret Santa gift exchange. I thought the odds of two people selecting the other’s name were, well, very low indeed. What do you make of that?" Janeway asked with a conspiratorial tone in her voice.

"I don’t know what you mean, Captain," Ensign Wildman responded clearly flustered.

"Well, it just seems odd to me that we would select each other. I’ve spoken with other members of the crew and it’s quite clear to me that no one else seemed to have had that experience. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s baffling?" Janeway asked with a twinkle in her eye. "And you say you don’t know anything about this?"

"I have no idea, Captain."

Ensign Wildman was having difficulty making eye contact with the Captain and Janeway knew that she had somehow been party to some scheme. Captain Janeway wondered who else might have been in collusion so she pressed her point further.

"I see, Ensign. You were the only person who was in charge of the names in the hat, though, weren’t you?"

"Yes, ma’am," the Ensign replied still unable to meet Janeway’s eyes. In fact, Ensign Wildman was now looking only at the deck plates.

"Don’t you think it strange, then, Ensign, that Seven and I would have exchanged names as we did?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Ensign, I think it would be just fine if you could level with me. I think that there are others who somehow set up that situation and while I am not asking for the names of your accomplices, I would like to know if the gift exchange was rigged."

Ensign Wildman was clearly agitated with the last statement. She lifted her head sharply and her eyes opened wide like saucers.

"Captain, I am so sorry. I was following Naomi’s suggestion to manipulate the Secret Santa gift exchange but only for you and Seven. If I have offended either of you, I am so sorry."

Janeway softened her voice and laid a gentle hand on the other woman’s shoulder in a gesture to allay the other woman’s fears.

"Please, I didn’t mean to alarm you, Samantha. It actually worked out very well but I was curious as to why you did it."

"Captain, my daughter is very fond of Seven and she is proud to be the Captain’s Assistant. She recognized that you and Seven have a very special relationship and she thought that it would be suitable if you were able to exchange gifts with each other. I wasn’t sure that it was appropriate but she helped to convince me that you would both enjoy the gesture. I’m sorry, Captain. I’ll have Naomi apologize as well."

"You don’t need to apologize, Ensign. The gesture was lovely and the gift exchanges were very appropriate. You have a very special daughter in Naomi. She is intelligent, witty, and a hard worker. And, I think we can keep this conversation to just the two of us, if you don’t mind."

"Of course, Captain. I wouldn’t have done it if it hadn’t been for Naomi’s insistence. She can be quite headstrong when she makes up her mind about something. She was very certain that you both would select the perfect gift for each other. I’m glad that it worked out."

"Someday I will have to thank her. I appreciate your honesty, Ensign. I suppose I will be seeing you and Naomi at the party this evening?"

"Oh yes. Naomi is so excited about having the chance to stay awake until midnight and celebrate the New Year with everyone. We’re both looking forward to it. But, I think Neelix is more excited about it than anyone else. He loves to organize a party," Ensign Wildman laughed.

"Yes, he does. Then I shall see you this evening. As you were, Ensign."

"Thank you, Captain."

Captain Janeway resumed her task about grabbing a bite to eat before heading towards her quarters. She knew that there had to be a plausible explanation for the mystery surrounding she and Seven’s gift exchange and she was grateful that Ensign Wildman finally had been so forthcoming with the information. She was curious, though, as to what would motivate Naomi Wildman to insist that her mother arrange it as she had. Kathryn shrugged her shoulders.

I don’t even think I want to answer that question, she thought to herself. Some things are better left unresolved.


The party was in full swing when Seven arrived. She immediately noticed that the mood of this party was far different from the mood that had greeted her at the Christmas celebration and she was satisfied that her entrance brought nothing more than a few smiles and nods from the crew standing nearest to the holodeck doors. Mr. Neelix and his associates had done a reasonably good job of transforming the holodeck into what appeared to be a ballroom onboard an Earth vessel known as a cruise ship. She was also grateful that she had sought the Doctor’s advice regarding her wearing apparel.

She had visited the Doctor because she knew that he could offer her an impartial opinion regarding what would be suitable attire for the evening. She did not think that the gift she had received from her Secret Santa, the identity of whom was still unknown, would be appropriate nor did she think her body suits would fit the occasion either.

The Doctor had replicated three very different outfits. One was a cream-colored gown with material that was soft and clinging with sequins adorning the bodice. The gown was sleeveless with a low-cut bodice that would demonstrate the ampleness of her bosom. Seven agreed with the Doctor that she was not in a mood to fend off the male members of the crew who would openly stare at her breasts.

The second gown was a black shift, totally devoid of any decoration with a plunging V-neck in the front and the back. Although the feel of the material was sufficient for Seven, the Doctor shook his head as she turned in a complete circle for him. She wondered if this was part of some ritual when donning clothing.

The third gown appealed to her because of its color. The material was a wispy sapphire blue satiny fabric that when she walked, the dress seemed to sway with her movements. It was cut low in the back but had a modest cut to the bodice. The gown had sleeves that covered three-quarters of her arms and this felt more comfortable to Seven. Additionally, this dress was not a full-length dress but was three-quarter length, which also appealed to Seven as it gave her the opportunity to choose alternate footwear; she had selected a pair of low-heeled shoes, the color matching the dress. It almost reminded her of the gown that she had worn to sing in the nightclub when the Hirogen had overtaken the ship. This gown was less formal than the other two and Seven had selected it, more for its comfort and color. She had decided to wear her hair in a similar fashion to how she had worn it at Christmas, loose and flowing about her shoulders.

Looking about the holodeck now and seeing what other members of the crew had chosen to wear, she was satisfied with her selection and proceeded to move in the direction of where she might find Ensign Wildman or Neelix. She remembered from other social occasions that it was not appropriate to simply stand in the doorway. Humans referred to the social custom as mingling and she had remembered that part of that ritual was to be near a group, listen to the conversation and then add an anecdote of her own. Kathryn had taught her that and though her initial attempts had been less than successful, she continued to practice and was becoming more adept.

She found Ensign Wildman standing with Neelix and Naomi Wildman and she noted from their faces that they were enjoying each other’s company. She wondered briefly if she should intrude upon their conversation when Naomi suddenly exclaimed.

"Seven! I’m so glad that you’re here. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming."

"Naomi Wildman. I see that you are enjoying yourself," Seven responded.

Both Ensign Wildman and Neelix greeted Seven warmly and Neelix was gracious to make an appropriate comment about Seven’s apparel. Samantha lightly squeezed Seven’s arm and agreed with Neelix that she thought Seven looked wonderful. Neelix immediately offered to retrieve some liquid refreshment for Seven but Seven declined his offer. She looked about the room and saw Mr. Paris dancing with Ensign Thomas and she noted that Ensign Thomas seemed quite taken with Mr. Paris. She saw Mr. Kim as he glided by with a brunette in his arms; Seven did not know the name of the crewman.

Commander Chakotay was dancing with Lieutenant Torres and both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company as she saw B’Elanna throw her head back and laugh at something the Commander had just said. Lieutenant Tuvok was sitting a table with Ensign Vorik; both seemed engrossed in their own conversation. No where that Seven looked could she see the Captain and she wondered briefly if Kathryn was planning to attend?

At that moment the holodeck doors opened and there stood the Captain dressed in a burgundy red gown that accentuated the color of Kathryn’s hair. The gown was similar to Seven’s in that it, too, had three quarter length sleeves, a modest neckline and plunging back, but instead of the material stopping at mid-calf, it cascaded to the floor and lent a grace to Kathryn’s walk that Seven had not noticed before. Her crew enthusiastically greeted her and she warmly smiled at everyone.

"Now our Captain knows how to make a grand entrance. That gown is absolutely stunning," Ensign Wildman was saying.

"She is quite beautiful," added Neelix. "That color of red is rather becoming on the Captain."

"Indeed", was all Seven managed to add.

The band struck up a waltz and Commander Chakotay excused himself from B’Elanna and made his way to the Captain. He politely asked for the dance and the Captain favored him with one of her winning smiles graciously accepting his invitation. The two glided across the floor and it was evident that both were excellent dancers. Seven was struck by the gracefulness that dancing seemed to offer. Soon others joined them on the dance floor and Seven was hard pressed to see Kathryn amidst the throng of people. She was aware of that same sensation again in the pit of her abdomen when she saw them again briefly as they glided past.

Mr. Kim was suddenly at her elbow and was asking her to dance. She looked at him and realized that the last time she had danced with anyone, other than the Doctor, the results had been disastrous. When she informed Ensign Kim of that fact, he laughed and said that would be all right and that he was willing to take his chances. Seven found herself agreeing to his request and they both entered the throng of people already dancing.

Seven discovered that it was easier with Mr. Kim than she had thought. One reason may have been the numbers of people already on the dance floor, which left little room for grand movements for either of them. She found that she was actually enjoying herself and was glad that she had chosen the blue dress because the material moved gracefully with her every movement and she enjoyed that sensation.

The music ended and the band immediately initiated a faster paced number. Mr. Kim let go of Seven and began to move his body in spasmodic motions that seemed to her at once to be ungainly and inefficient. She wondered if he was ill and began to offer him assistance when she realized that everyone else was making the same movements with their arms and legs. Seven stood there quite perplexed.

"C’mon, Seven. Let go a little and keep dancing," Harry suggested.

"This is dancing?"

"Yeah…this is rock and roll music that Tom added to the mix. He thought it would be fun to have some old fashioned rock and roll to dance to. C’mon, Seven, just do what I’m doing," Harry insisted.

"I thought that you were ill and needing medical attention, Ensign. This does not appear to be dancing but rather some kind of paroxysmal condition that has infected the crew. I will not comply."

And with that announcement she turned and left Harry standing with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She went over to the food and beverage area and sought a glass of something light; water would have been quite sufficient but she chose a glass of white wine instead. Seven was suddenly aware of someone at her elbow and she turned slightly to notice that it was the Captain. She bent her head slightly as she tilted it to watch Kathryn out of the corner of her eye.

"Seven. Are you enjoying yourself this evening?" the Captain inquired.

"It is an acceptable evening of entertainment with the exception of what the crew seems to be engaged in at the moment," Seven responded.

Janeway laughed and the sound of it sent a small shiver through Seven.

"Oh, I don’t know, Seven. A little jitterbugging is good for the soul and rock and roll, according to Tom Paris, brings out the best in jitterbugs."

"Jitterbugging?" Seven stared at Captain with a look of dismay.

"A form of dancing that was very popular on earth around the middle of the 20th Century. From that style of dance came all forms of popular dance including the twist, the jerk, the…"

"Something I think the crew has learned quite sufficiently," Seven interjected.

"I see what you mean." Janeway was piling food onto a small plate and sampling a bit as she spoke. "Perhaps you’d like to try it?"

"I think not, Captain. It … it does not appeal to me," Seven replied.

"It might broaden your base of knowledge regarding how humans enjoy themselves," Janeway insisted as she popped what looked like a black olive into her mouth.

"I do not believe that this form of entertainment would be suitable for me at this time."

"Seven, you really need to let your hair down a little," the Captain urged.

"I thought I had, Captain. You will notice that I am not wearing my hair in its usual fashion."

That brought a raucous laugh from the Captain.

"Seven, I concede. But when the band plays a form of music called swing, I may just have to ask you to dance and I hope you’ll accept. I think you might just enjoy it since it’s not so agitated. Swing dancing, in my opinion, has more fluidness to it."

"Perhaps."

Captain Janeway moved off in the general direction of where Commander Chakotay was sitting with Lieutenant Torres. At one point in her conversation with Seven, Janeway thought she was going to drop her plate of food when Seven informed her that her hairstyle was different, pointing out to Kathryn that she hadn’t even noticed. But Kathryn had noticed how appealing Seven looked this evening and wished that she might have been able to mention that fact to her. Instead, she had droned on about differing dancing styles. Then, the Captain had surprised herself by telling Seven that she planned to ask her for a dance!

That was bold of you Katie, she thought. What makes you even think that Seven would even want to dance with you? There are plenty of male crewmembers here this evening who would give a month’s replicator rations and throw in extra time in the holodeck to be able to dance with Seven. She is absolutely beautiful and the color of her dress brings out her beauty even more. If I ask her she may only accept out of a sense of duty to her Captain and I don’t want that. Oh, what do I want?

Kathryn was having a battle in her mind as she sat down with Chakotay and B’Elanna. She was only half listening to their conversation as she continued to argue with herself and it was only going to be a matter of time before one or the other noticed that she wasn’t really in tune with their conversation.

"Captain?" B’Elanna began. "Chakotay was telling me that Seven has found new sources of energy which we may be able to use for additional power. Will we be investigating this source?"

"The Captain may not be interested in this at the moment, B’Elanna," Chakotay offered giving the Captain a way out of talking ship’s business.

"You know, I don’t want to talk shop tonight," Kathryn agreed. "This evening is meant to be a party and I think we all need to relax and just have a good time. When were they planning to read the resolutions?"

"I don’t know, Captain. Ensign Kim has been pretty mum about that. But for two days he’s been walking around with a Cheshire Cat’s grin on his face so I know something’s up," B’Elanna explained.

B’Elanna asked Chakotay for another dance but not before offering her arm to Janeway. She merely shook her head and pointed to her plate of food and glass of wine.

"Save one for me later though, Lieutenant," she remarked as B’Elanna and Chakotay headed for the dance floor.

More people arrived on the holodeck and Janeway began to wonder if anyone was at the helm. She decided that she would not worry about that either; she knew that Chakotay had made arrangements for the crew and since he was excellent at managing personnel resources, it was one item that Janeway mentally checked off her list that didn’t require her attention.

She watched couples move effortlessly across the floor and as she eased herself into a more comfortable position, she noticed Seven dancing with a crewmember, Jacobs, she thought his name was, and smiled at how Seven was struggling not to lead him around. She remembered that the Doctor had given Seven dance instructions and wondered if Seven ever had much opportunity to practice.

The band finished its number and immediately launched into a swing number that Janeway recognized as "In The Mood", a song from the 1940’s. It was a perfect opportunity for Janeway to ask Seven to dance. As she rose to her feet and started in the direction of where Seven was standing with Crewman Jacobs, B’Elanna interceded and asked her to dance. Janeway could not in good conscience turn B’Elanna down a second time so the two women made their way onto the dance floor.

"Want me to lead or do you want to?" B’Elanna asked.

"You lead. But let’s move over towards that side of the room, do you mind?" Janeway thought that if Seven could see the two of them dancing that she might learn a little by watching the footwork.

The two of them made short work of the number and Janeway discovered much to her surprise that the lieutenant was an excellent dancer. She complimented B’Elanna and asked where she had learned to jitterbug. B’Elanna shared that she was grateful to Tom Paris for teaching her to dance because it was one form of physical recreation that she really enjoyed and was pleased that it did not involve violence.

The Captain realized that Lieutenant Torres had maneuvered her to a position that was close to where Seven was standing. Janeway was cognizant that Seven was watching the two women dancing and that she wore the oddest expression on her face. As B’Elanna continued to swing the Captain, pushing her away and pulling her back, twirling her under her arm and keeping the tempo perfectly, Seven continued to watch transfixed. As the music ended, all the couples offered their enthusiastic applause; Janeway thanked B’Elanna for the dance and excused herself making her way to the refreshment table for a glass of wine.

The band offered up a drum roll and Neelix, Mr. Kim, and Ensign Wildman stood on the dais, each one holding a stack of padds. Mr. Kim cleared his throat and asked for everyone’s attention. The Captain realized that the committee was about to unveil the resolutions so she made her way back to where Lieutenant Torres and Commander Chakotay were already seated with Lieutenants Paris and Tuvok.

Harry began, "First of all we would like to tell everyone that we appreciate the cooperation from the crew in turning in all your New Year’s resolutions. Otherwise, I’d be standing here with nothing to say."

A ripple of laughter emanated from the crowd nearest him. Harry cleared his throat and continued. He was not used to making speeches in front of large crowds, despite the fact that most of these people were his friends and comrades.

"We thought it would be a good idea to share the resolutions by reading them aloud until Ensign Wildman pointed out that we might be here the rest of the night and into the Alpha shift so, we aren’t going to do that. Instead, we’re going to share just a few of the ones that we thought had a great deal of merit. Now, that’s not to say that all of them didn’t have merit but we really don’t have time for everyone’s so we chose the ones that we thought were important. Well, not that all of them weren’t important." Ensign Kim realized that he was digging a hole for himself when suddenly someone yelled,

"Way to go, Harry. Just read ‘em".

Several people laughed; others clapped in an effort to urge Harry to get started. Neelix took it upon himself to rescue him by stepping up and taking one of the padds that Harry offered. He cleared his throat and began.

"This one is from our good Chief of Engineering, Lieutenant Torres. She resolves to use better judgement when confronted with the frustrations of keeping Voyager running by thinking before throwing any objects at her staff."

A wave of applause and loud hurrahs rose up from the crowd. B’Elanna stood and looked darkly at anyone from her staff within her line of sight and then broke into laughter. Ensign Wildman called for the next one to read.

"Crewman Harris resolves to stop bugging his crewmates when the end of the month arrives and he is out of replicator rations."

Again a wave of applause and rowdy acceptance of that resolution could be heard.

"This one," Harry began "is from Naomi Wildman who resolves to work even longer hours with Captain Janeway so that she can be the best Captain’s Assistant on board Voyager."

As the applause began, Captain Janeway smiled and nodded in the direction of Naomi who beamed with pride. Kathryn realized that she was fortunate to have Naomi as an assistant and resolved to herself quietly that she would do a better job of instructing Naomi on ship’s protocols and procedures.

More resolutions were read before the band took its cue from Neelix to begin another set. Janeway looked around the room until her eyes settled on Seven who looked uncomfortable. Seven was beginning to assume that posture that was her hallmark, hands linked behind her back, legs slightly apart. Seven turned suddenly and it was as though she realized that the Captain was watching her. Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still for Janeway. She knew that B’Elanna and Chakotay were saying something to her and reluctantly she turned back to the table.

"What? Oh, I’m sorry. My mind was elsewhere. You were saying?" Kathryn asked.

"Never mind, Captain," B’Elanna replied. "It’s not that important." B’Elanna noticed that the Captain had stopped listening and was staring at a doorway which led to the promenade deck of the cruise ship. She followed the Captain’s gaze and saw that Seven had just exited through that doorway.

"Excuse me, will you both?" the Captain asked absent-mindedly as she rose from the table.

"Of course, Captain," replied Chakotay clearly not knowing what had just transpired.

"Sure," B’Elanna replied clearly curious as to what she had just witnessed.

Captain Janeway moved off in the general direction of the exit doors. She passed the beverage table and scooped up two glasses of champagne before continuing her way to the promenade deck. Once outside the ballroom, the ‘air’ was different; there was the faintest aroma of the sea and the salt air had a slight chill to it. The moon was full and peaked from behind the clouds casting the softest of lights upon the ocean. It was a beautiful evening and a testament that Neelix and his committee had outdone themselves with the holodeck programming. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that she was standing on the deck of an ocean sailing vessel back on Earth.

She wondered where Seven had gone off to and began strolling along the deck. She continued to look out to sea and realized that had she lived in a different century, a century where star travel was not possible, she would have wanted to sail the seas and still be an explorer. It was probably why she enjoyed reading books that contained 18th Century dramas although she knew that she identified with the male characters far more than the females in those novels.

She was still carrying two glasses of champagne and decided to set one down on a table next to a chaise lounger. There was a blanket over the back of the chaise and she scooped it up wrapping it about her shoulders to warm herself. Then she walked over to the railing and looked down at the foam that was being created by the ship’s bow. She could hear the ocean’s roar as the bow knifed through the water sending cascades of iridescent water to each side in large wakes. It was a beautiful night, a night for strolling with someone whose company she enjoyed. She wondered again where Seven had gone. She would have liked to share this moment with her.

"Kathryn," a soft voice called.

Kathryn slowly turned to see Seven standing behind her, watching her carefully. Seven was searching Kathryn’s eyes to find some meaning in them because she knew in her heart of hearts, that Kathryn had followed her out here. She suddenly realized that she wanted Kathryn to initiate contact; Seven could not and at the same time she feared that Kathryn would turn away. So, she had whispered Kathryn’s name a second time.

"Seven," Kathryn answered quietly.

Neither woman spoke after that for quite some time. They simply stood at the railing and looked out to sea, watching the moon as it chased the clouds across a nighttime sky. Their shoulders barely touched but that was enough for now. Each woman retreated into her own thoughts and stood quietly enjoying the strains of music that floated out to where they leaned against the railing.

The band began to play another dance tune that Kathryn recognized as a slow jitterbug. Kathryn turned and took Seven’s hands in her own. She looked into Seven’s eyes. "Just follow me", Kathryn said as she began to move in rhythm with the music. Seven began to dance, tentatively at first, and then with more assuredness as Kathryn led her through a few basic steps. As she pushed Seven back and pulled her toward her, Kathryn caught the scent of perfume Seven was wearing, slightly vanilla but not quite that sweet. There was another scent about Seven, which Janeway could not identify but which she found tantalizing.

Seven followed Kathryn’s lead and realized that she could easily follow as long as she did not look at her feet. She chose instead to watch Kathryn’s face, her eyes, her mouth. She noted how Kathryn sent signals through her hands, letting her know when she was to turn, when to step back, when to step forward. At one point Kathryn placed her hand on Seven’s back and pulled ever so gently, bringing Seven into closer contact with Kathryn until they were only mere centimeters from each other. Seven found that Kathryn’s touch was firm but tempered with a gentleness that she found stimulating.

The music ended and they stood facing each other. Neither woman spoke. Kathryn closed her eyes and realized that she was standing on a precipice, suddenly aware of thoughts and emotions cascading through her. Katherine had no idea how long they stood like that when suddenly she heard the orchestra play, Auld Lang Syne and people began to sing. She turned to look at Seven.

"It’s midnight, Seven. Happy New Year."

And then, Katherine leaned over and lightly brushed her lips against Seven’s. Without another word, she turned and walked back into the ballroom to join the throng of well-wishers and to wish her crew a Happy New Year.

* * * * * *  THE END  * * * * * *