A/N: I really appreciate the kind reviews. I hope everyone is enjoying the tale.

Time Enough Chapter 13

"Transmitting again, Ma'am," Harry said. After a beat he continued, "No response. So far as I can tell, they aren't ignoring us. They just don't use any sort of communication systems we recognize."

"Seven?" Janeway asked, not looking at the Borg as she spoke. She was on edge and didn't trust herself not to smile. Nothing about this situation warranted smiling.

"I have no direct knowledge," Seven said hesitantly, "but I would recommend using graviton fluctuations. A simple pattern of prime numbers, the first ten, repeated three times."

"Do it," Janeway ordered. She needn't have bothered. Harry's hands were already flowing over the virtual keyboard.

Janeway waited. She waited a bit more. The alien ships hadn't fired again, at least not yet.

"Captain, receiving graviton waves emanating from the lead vessel. They're repeating primes back to us."

Janeway felt her energy fading as the relief set in. "Patch in the universal translator and transmit our wish to pass through their space peacefully."

"Aye, Captain," Harry said, fingers wriggling furiously.

"Damn it, Nels, you're going to get me court martialed."

Nels laughed. "Relax, Simmons. "I just wanted to send Carol a message that your pointy-eared boss wouldn't read. I wasn't gone that long."

"More like you wrote a damn novel," Simmons groused. He pulled himself up to his full height. "Okay, you got your message out. Give it back."

"Sure thing," Nels said. He reached down and pulled a small device off of his security cuff. "Thing works just like I said it would."

"Yeah, you showed in your quarters the entire time," Simmons grudgingly admitted. "Just don't think you can build another. If someone else came by and you weren't where the tracker shows, they'll toss your ass in the brig so fast your head'll spin. Hell, I'll probably be in there keeping you company."

"No worries," Nels assured his guard. "I just wanted to get with my girl. You know how it is." He sighed heavily. "I just wish that bitch Sato would tell the truth so I can get out of here. If I'd known she was gonna cry rape, I wouldn't have given her a tumble when she came on to me. That kind of bitch makes all women look bad."

"Yeah, she's a lot like my ex," Simmons sympathized. His comm badge dinged. "That'll be Davies." He tucked the device in his pocket. "Take it easy, Rob. Things'll work out."

"Yeah, things will work out," Nels repeated with a beatific smile. "They sure will."

Seven drifted in to the Astrometrics lab almost fifteen minutes late. She noted Cavanaugh's scrupulous lack of attention to her tardiness. "Have your scans produced any results that will require the Captain's attention?"

"Uh, no, Ma'am. The only world with life we've found so far has an atmosphere that will make anything there poisonous to anyone with human DNA. There might be a couple of other options further out but we won't have details on them for another two hours."

"Very well. Carry on." Seven busied herself at her console.

Janice thought about asking if Seven had made any progress with Janeway but decided that in this case, ignorance was indeed bliss.

A couple of hours later, Janice moved around a bit, making just enough noise to penetrate the daze Seven had been in ever since she's arrived in the lab. "Ma'am? Data's in. We have a high probability for one possible source for biologicals and two potential fuel sources. It will require a course change. I'm sending you the information now."

"Excellent," Seven said. She downloaded the data to her PADD. "I'll need to take this to the Captain immediately. Continue scanning." Seven practically ran out of the room..

Janice smiled slightly. Apparently they had talked and things had gone well. Her smile disappeared. Would Seven start asking her questions about… "Please, no. I'll eat a phaser first," she muttered to herself.

Janeway looked up as the door chimed. "Enter." She raised an eyebrow as she saw Seven standing there, holding a PADD.

"Captain," Seven said from the doorway in a voice that was a bit louder than strictly necessary, "I have data on potential resupply destinations that will require a course change. I came to show you the information."

"Well, come on it and show me," Janeway said, fighting back a laugh. She gestured to the chair next to hers. After the door closed behind Seven she allowed herself a smile. "You don't have to fabricate an excuse to talk to me."

"It is not a fabrication, Captain," Seven protested. She remained standing. "Scans have found a potential food source and two potential fuel sources." She handed over the PADD. In a subdued voice she added, "I wanted to be discreet."

"And you were," Janeway assured her. She reminded herself again that Seven was new to all of this. "Thank you." She looked at the PADD. "You have a course correction planned?"

Seven reached over and swiped a finger over the PADD display to pull up a graphic of the current and proposed course. "This would be the most efficient route."

Any signs of habitable planets on the way?" Janeway asked.

"No. However our scans do not preclude a spacefaring civilization in the region," Seven said. "We are not near enough to detect common emissions or communication."

"Still, we could use resupplying. Okay," Janeway decided, "we'll do it." She sent the course to the navigational computer and hit the button on her desktop communicator. "Tom, Seven's found us some resupply possibilities. I've sent the new course to you. Fine tune it and get us on the way."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Tom's voice said through the speaker.

Janeway closed the channel. She stood. "Good work," she said gently. She held out her hand. After a moment, Seven took it. Janeway ran her fingers over the skin and metal. It felt odd but not unpleasant. The metal was warm and pliable.

Seven felt her heart rate increase dramatically. She understood the mechanics but it was still disconcerting. "Captain, I would like for us to have a date. That is what people do who are attracted to each other and wish to 'get to know' one another. I can make the holodeck secure."

Janeway squeezed Seven's hand. "That sounds wonderful." Seven looked so scared it was heartbreaking. Janeway pulled her gently in and put her free hand on Seven's cheek. "You're very thoughtful."

Emboldened, Seven leaned forward and kissed Janeway. She felt things seem to spin and realized that the kiss had gone on long enough that the need to take a breath was becoming an issue. They both pulled back at the same time. Seven was pleased to note that Janeway was flushed and breathing heavily. "I should go and run additional scans," she murmured.

"Yes," Janeway breathed. She abandoned an earlier thought to have Seven join her in the cafeteria for dinner. She was fairly certain their cover would be blown in the first five minutes.

Mio entered their quarters saying, "I'm back. That planet you fou- What the hell?" She saw Carol sitting at the table. "Where's Jan?"

"Working, I suppose," Carol said. Mio noticed that her face was red and looked swollen. "I wanted to ask you to talk to Robert."

"How did you get in here?" Mio demanded.

"I bypassed the lock," Carol said. "I learned how when I did a tour in maintenance. Please, just talk to Robert."

"Not a chance in hell," Mio said flatly, eyes flashing angrily.

"I just want to talk to him. He won't return my messages. I have to talk to him."

"What a shame," Mio said. "You and Nels deserve each other. Get out."

"He thinks he's going to get together with you," Carol went on, showing no signs of leaving. "At first he just talked about you, saying things like you were lying about what happened. It turned into him talking about you like you two were a couple. Tell him it isn't going to happen. I already lost John. I can't lose Robert too."

"Carol, get out of here right now and never come near me again," Mio said firmly. "And do yourself a favor. Stay away from Nels. He's dangerous. Now go. Right now. I'm calling security to have the lock fixed. You won't want to be here when they arrive."

"Think about it," Carol said. She shuffled out, defeated and broken.

Janice arrived at her quarters only to see Mio talking to one of the security officers and an maintenance worker. "What's going on?"

Mio hurried over and steered Janice away from the door. "I put in a request for a more secure lock. I thought it would make us feel safer. It has a biometric scanner attached, one that's not on the network."

Janice nodded. "Good idea." She couldn't shake the feeling there was something else going on. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," Mio assured her. Worrying Jan wouldn't accomplish anything.

"We're ready for you," the maintenance worker called out. They walked over and entered their palm prints and looked into the ocular reader in turn. "All set."

The door shut behind them and the system gave a chime to show the security locks were active. "Want some tea?"

"Sure," Jan replied. She thought about pressing the issue but whatever was going on, Mio didn't seem to want to discuss it. Besides, with Nels able to move around, tracking system or not, the upgraded lock was only good sense.

"Samples are back from that planet you found," Mio said. "We'll be able to fill the holds with biologicals."

"Great," Jan said, smiling now. "It looked good from the scans. I guess you'll have a lot to do for a while."

Mio nodded. "I was thinking, once the cataloging is done, maybe we can take a vacation. Remember that holodeck program? The one with the beach?" She wrapped her arms around Jan and whispered, "I would really like to go there again."

Jan melted into the embrace and kissed Mio with abandon. Yes, that was a really nice idea.