A/N:- I apologise for the grammatical errors in chapter 4 pointed out by a guest reviewer, these will be corrected tomorrow. I don't have a beta and I guess I miss things, though I do try to read through my stories objectively. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Please review it if you have time, reviews are much appreciated. Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far :)
The first thing I became aware of as consciousness ebbed back into my body was that I, a Borg drone, was midway through the waking up process. At some point during the night I must have fallen asleep, participating in my first night's sleep since before I had joined the collective, though it occurred to me that perhaps joined wasn't the right word. A thrill of excitement ran through me, maybe my humanity had finally regained control of my circadian rhythm and I was free of my only Borg weakness. It fascinated me that I couldn't remember the exact moment at which I had fallen asleep. The process was much less precise than regeneration, though I noted that I felt equally rested but strangely more content. The second thing I was acutely aware of was the presence of a comforting warm body pressed into my right side. Kathryn. My eyes flickered open to her sleeping face resting only a few centimetres from my own. Her head was nestled on my shoulder and one of her hands had crept up from my stomach to lie just under the swell of my breasts. I was suddenly struck with the idea that I wanted her hand to be higher and the image flooded my mind. My abdomen fluttered involuntarily, my heart seemed to malfunction, skipping a beat and an unfamiliar heat spread down in a wave to the apex of my thighs where it gathered. Panic quickly followed this biological phenomenon and I scrabbled hurriedly out from underneath the Captains' grip. Her head hit the floor with an audible thump and her eyes flew open in surprise.
"Seven?" Her voice was heavy with sleep and she sat up slowly, tiredly rubbing the side of her head.
"Yes, Cap-Kathryn." I kept my gaze fastened firmly on the floor as if she could prise that causative image out of my eyes somehow.
"Are you alright?" She made a move as if to put a reassuring hand on my thigh but something about my demeanour must have made her reconsider as her hand hovered in the air for a millisecond before dropping limply to her lap.
"I'm fine." I looked up slowly, finally meeting her inquisitive gaze. Her eyes narrowed.
"You're fine?" She tilted her head, looking at me sceptically. "I was under the impression that you functioned within normal parameters?" The corners of her lips twitched upwards at her own attempt at humour but suspicion still covered her features.
"I was merely trying to embrace my humanity and explore your colloquialisms. If you would prefer that I did not then that can be arranged." I smoothed the material of my biosuit over my knee and flicked nonchalantly at some non-existent dust. My erratic heartbeat was starting to return to normal as I found our familiar pattern of verbal exchange oddly reassuring. I felt a reassuring confidence in my ability to adapt surface; I would find a way to overcome these strange physiological occurrences plaguing my body.
"My apologies Seven, I shouldn't poke fun at you."
"It is quite alright Captain." Her eyebrow quirked at my use of her title but she said nothing. Our guard brought two trays of breakfast to our cell. Glad of the reprieve from the situation, I ate my mushed grain confidently, finding my new way of obtaining nutrition not unpleasant. As I chewed an idea came to me, though I waited until the guards had taken our trays to attempt it.
"Captain, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course Seven, What is it?" She leaned back against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other before looking up at me expectantly.
"Before we embarked on this failed mission I was reading through information on the ships database and I encountered a piece of fictional literature." I paused, taking a small breath before continuing. "There was a woman who was experiencing a range of symptoms. Could you explain them to me?"
"I'll try, but I've had limited medical experience Seven."
I took another small breath and tried to sound as indifferent as possible, "The woman was aware of her heartbeat and had difficulty maintaining respiratory homeostasis, her body would become suddenly warm and her stomach would tingle when she had thoughts about another person in the story. Explain." Captain Janeway looked at me incredulously, before her grin grew wide.
"What were you reading?"
"I do not remember." My answer was vague and deliberately dismissive; my embarrassment at my symptoms preventing me from being honest. The sooner she helped me understand what was happening to me, the sooner I could begin to control it.
"I thought you possessed an eidetic memory?" She countered with a smirk.
"It would seem that my presence around humanity has affected my enhanced skills."
"Yes, that must be it." Her blue eyes sparkled in a playful way that momentarily captivated my conscious thought and I could feel my body begin to react again. My heart rate quickened in a way that was becoming disturbingly familiar.
"Are you going to enlighten me or not Kathryn?" I asked impatiently, the return of my illness unnerving me.
"Attraction." She said amusedly. "Those are signs of attraction to the other person."
"You mean sexual attraction?!" My voice escaped my throat at a louder volume than I had intended, my shock evident.
"Well, yes I suppose, but it can be more than just about sex Seven. That physiological response can also be caused by feelings of love." My cortical node began to race, I couldn't possibly have any sort of attraction towards Captain Janeway, the woman who had torn me from my species. The same woman whose fault it was that I was currently sat in a cell being held against my will. It was impossible and I certainly didn't have any sort of love towards her. She was mistaken, she had to be.
"Is there a cure?" I asked quietly.
"A cure?" She shot me a look that seemed to suggest she thought I was experiencing mental difficulties, "That woman wasn't ill Seven. Attraction is a normal part of humanity. Everyone experiences it."
"Even you?" I didn't know why I had the impulse to ask that question, but I found myself wondering who made her experience the things that were affecting me. She was quiet for a long moment, staring pensively at the ground as her fingers fiddled with her discarded captains jacket.
"Yes, even me." She muttered in a tone that told me the conversation was over. She shrugged herself into her jacket and turned back to me, once again the embodiment of a Starfleet Captain.
"Did we get told the scores last night Seven after I fell asleep? I want to know the standings."
"I'm not sure Captain. It appears that I too fell asleep." Her gaze snapped back to mine.
"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier? How do you feel?"
"I don't know, it is a strange experience, though reasonably enjoyable." She sat forward excitedly, our previous conversation seemingly forgotten.
"Did you dream?" She asked, studying me intently.
"No, not that I can recall."
"I wonder why you slept." She gazed at me thoughtfully, ever the inquisitive Starfleet Officer. I felt a spark of irritation ignite within me at knowing that I would always be a science project to her. What bothered me more though was the niggling seed of an idea that maybe I was irritated because I wanted to be more.
The clomping of boots signalled it was time for further testing. I wondered what our subject would be for today, confident in mine and Kathryns' intelligence allowing us to finish second and pass through this round of testing safely. It was the Captains turn first this time and sure enough the guards motioned for her when they threw open the door to our cell. Once they were out of earshot, I moved up close to the bars.
"Kerra." I kept my voice low, trying not to attract attention. She was sitting with her head in her hands at the back of her cell. Tired, dark eyes met mine and I caught a glimpse of the tears running down her face before she wiped them away.
"Why are you crying?"
"Sorry," She wiped again at her eyes and nose, trying to stem the flow of liquid. "I guess it's just getting to me and I'm worried about Rohin; he got 30 wrong yesterday. He went through so much pain Seven, 44 shots of pain is too many. He didn't sleep because he could still feel the pain in his nerves and I don't know how he is supposed to perform well today seeing as he is so tired." I shifted uncomfortably at the raw emotion in her voice, unaccustomed to dealing with the anguish of others. Becoming a human was a very complex transition and I had to appreciate that there was a depth to humanity that the Collective never credited humans with.
"I'm sure he will perform to the best of his ability Kerra."
"What if that isn't good enough?" There was an undertone of defeat lacing her words and in that moment I realised she didn't have the determination and the sheer force of will that it took to survive something like this. As a drone I had assimilated many individuals, without giving it a second thought. I was used to the inhumanity and cruelty associated with situations similar to this and if Borg drones ever entertained the notion of gambling I was willing to bet my life that my teammate had seen worse than this. The Captain and I were going to make it out of here, we just needed the opportunity to do so. In the meantime though, I needed information.
"Kerra, do you know the scores?"
"The clever species is still first, they've only got 4 wrong so far," The bitterness she felt towards them was plainly evident when she spoke, "You're second, we're third and the other species is fourth."
After about an hour, the guards returned and the door to my cell opened. I looked up expecting to see Kathryn enter but instead met the gaze of the guard.
"Out. Now."
"Where's my Captain?" I scrabbled to my feet, but gave no inclination that I would willingly move towards him.
"She is being attended to. It is time for your test."
"I want to see Kathryn." My demands fell on deaf ears as I was grabbed forcibly and dragged to my testing room.
"Species 4458 specimen 2, as a member of one of the top two highest scoring species' the difficulty of your tests has been increased. Are you ready for your test?"
"How has the difficulty been increased?" I thought about Kathryn, wondering what had happened and where she was.
"Species 4458, specimen 2, are you ready?"
"No! I demand an explanation. Where is my Captain?" My chair scraped along the floor as I pushed myself upwards angrily. Almost instantaneously pain erupted at the base of my neck, bringing me to my knees. I steadied myself against the cool floor, breathing heavily as my body absorbed the pain, my nerves twitching with fire.
With a firm push I was on my feet again. Defiance coursed through me. I was Borg. The Borg do not bow to the will of others and I supposed that if my humanity had any resemblance to my Captain then my human side wasn't going to bow down either.
"Species 4458, specimen 2, please be seated for your test."
"No." Pain ripped through me once again. My leg muscles contracted involuntarily, sending me down to become re-acquainted with the floor. Clearly I wasn't going to win this way. I sat.
The questions began, physics this time, though I didn't think they were any harder in difficulty than the previous two tests had been. Being wrong was something that I didn't much enjoy and at question 12 the first random bolt of pain hit me, destroying my concentration. I attempted to work out the answer again, eventually figuring it out. Rage simmered beneath my surface. This was ridiculous it proved nothing about my physics skills. It continued throughout my test, the pain varying in intensity and duration. By the end my nerves felt as if they contained a live electrical current and I shook as my score was read out. 82. More pain flooded my system and I clenched my teeth trying to ride it out. I had not listened to Kathryns' score but it felt like she had gotten a significant number wrong. Strong hands picked me off the floor but I didn't remember falling. Exhausted, I let the guard assist me in my journey back to my cell.
He released me as we got to my cell, pushing me through the door. Captain Janeway lay propped up against the wall of her side of the cell. She looked terrible. Her right arm hung oddly at her side and there were dark bruises mottling her skin of both arms.
"Kathryn!" Kneeling down next to her, I reached out to touch her right arm. She winced as I made contact.
"I'm OK Seven."
"Your arm is broken therefore you are not OK. What happened?" She sighed in defeat, apparently realising that I would not let this go.
"I tried to take my guards weapon as he brought me back from the test but I wasn't fast enough. He used the gun to break my arm then carted me off to their version of a sickbay. I think they took a biopsy of my bone but they wouldn't tell me anything about what they were doing." My face must have showcased that I thought her actions were ill advised because she held up her hands against my glare.
"I know, I know. It was stupid and it wasn't one of my best decisions but I was so angry Seven. I was so angry over us being given a disadvantage in the test today and I guess the Irish blood in me lost control. I just thought for a second that if I had his weapon then maybe we could fight our way out, because let's face it the alternative plan of riding this out doesn't inspire much confidence in our survival chances. I won't have my destiny decided for me by this God-complex harbouring species."
"You are a brave woman Captain." Surprise flitted over her features and I felt myself smile. "You are brave but you let your emotions override your ability to think clearly. As I have said before, humanity is flawed." I reached out and took her hand in mine. "Please try not to get yourself hurt again. I do not wish to see you in pain or worse; I have grown accustomed to your presence." I had meant to say that I cared for her, but the words had become lost on their journey out of my mouth.
Her eyes held mine for a long moment, almost as if she knew what I had wanted to say. "I promise I'll try not to."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. We had our standard meals and our bathroom allowance and I once again engaged Kathryn in conversation about Earth though this time focusing on her academy days. She was animated and happy, her face illuminating with joy as she regaled me with tales of her youthful exploits. I desperately wanted to see much more of this Kathryn and the thought scared me slightly. Perhaps she had been correct earlier with her inadvertent suggestion that my physiological signs were due to attraction. Perhaps I did feel something that I shouldn't. Though of course, she could be mistaken. I hoped she was mistaken.
The Captain fell asleep quickly that evening, evidently exhausted from the events of this morning, leaving me awake to listen for the scores. When they were read out I was not surprised to learn we had slipped to third place behind Kerra and Rohin. I fought my rising surge of anger as it threatened to occupy my mind; now was not the time. There were other emotions rising to keep in check.
I watched the slow rise and fall of my cell-mates chest, noticing her hair had fallen to cover some of her face and I moved my hand to stroke it back into place.
"Kathryn, am I attracted to you?" My unanswered question sat heavily in the air as I ran my fingers through her hair. A patch of dried blood tangled my fingers and I freed the matted crust from her auburn strands. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards the sleeping woman. It was disconcerting that just a few days ago I would have taken a small amount of pleasure in her discomfort but now I was ready to fight guards twice my size and strength to protect her from any more harm. I removed my hand from her hair and settled onto my back, wondering if sleep would claim me tonight.
Kathryn suddenly shifted and rolled over to face me, causing me to jump slightly despite my supine position on the floor; I thought she had fallen asleep hours ago.
"Seven?" Her voice was low and husky, barely more than a whisper in my ear. Her body was in very close proximity to mine and my body temperature crept up by a few degrees. I wondered if this effect would lessen as I developed some sort of tolerance to her.
"Yes, Captain?" I propped myself up on my right elbow so I was facing my commanding officer. Her face was inches from mine and I was unable to stop my gaze from slipping down to her lips; there was something so captivating about them. I felt an inexplicable pull towards her and the absurd idea that I should move my lips to capture hers popped into my mind. I fought it.
"I wanted to ask you something earlier but given what happened today it slipped my mind." She pressed closer her thigh brushing against mine, the contact causing a searing heat to ensnare my body. I felt a wetness begin to pool between my legs. That was new.
Her hand came up to press gently against my left shoulder pushing me back down onto my back. Dark blue eyes peered down at me, fingers brushed lightly over my bicep, the haphazard pattern of their soft movements making my limb tingle. I didn't want her to stop.
"Earlier you said you were reading something about a woman being attracted to another person." Her tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip. "You said person rather than man."
Her face moved closer, her lips were millimetres from mine all I had to do was raise my head slightly and our mouths would meet. I swallowed, unable to move under her intense gaze. I was torn between pushing her away and begging her to make contact with my body. Her fingers left my bicep to run tantalisingly slowly along the line of my jaw.
"Was it another woman?" I shuddered at her touch. The ache gathering between my legs grew and I knew that somehow she held the key to relieving me of it.
"Yes." The blue of her irises became almost black at my low whispered admission and in that moment I finally realised what the darkness in her eyes was. Lust. She looked like she was trying to fight it but with a small growl she gave in, sliding her hand under my neck, pulling so our mouths collided. It was magnificent. My world exploded at the pleasurable sensations overloading my body. Her lips, soft and demanding moved against mine, gently exploring, while one of her hands slid down to reside just above the swell of my breasts. I moaned in frustration; craving her touch lower. My humanity must have automatically taken over as the Borg in me malfunctioned in this undiscovered territory because my hands were swiftly curling into her auburn locks keeping us firmly pressed together. My body knew what it wanted even if my cortical implant didn't and I wanted her close. Closer than she was now; her clothes had to come off.
Her tongue swept over my lips distractingly and I granted her entrance, my own tongue moving wetly against hers, eliciting a moan from both of us. My hands, remembering their objective were quickly at the zip on her jacket, pulling it down, sliding the garment off her shoulders, almost eradicating the remaining distance between both of our bodies. She sat up removing her grey top hurriedly. Her bra followed and everything stopped except for the thunderous rapid pounding of my heart against my rib-cage. She was perfect. I reached up to cradle her breasts in my shaking hands, squeezing gently as I marveled at their softness. I wanted my mouth there and I moved forward to take a nipple between my teeth. She arched into my touch, pushing her breast firmly against my lips.
"Seven." Her voice was urgent; I felt the wetness at my groin begin to spread further. She needed this too.
"Seven." She shook me gently and I frowned. What was she doing? I was no expert on whatever we were doing but this didn't seem appropriate.
"Seven."
I jolted awake to her form above me, fully dressed and most definitely not touching me. Her brow was furrowed in concern as she looked down at me.
"Are you OK? You looked like you were having a nightmare." I was extremely thankful in that moment that human visual acuity was deficient compared to a Borg drone; my cheeks flamed in what was sure to be a bright crimson blush. My breathing was becoming less erratic as the image of her breasts and desire filled eyes faded from my immediate memory. I took a last deep breath, regaining control.
"I am functioning within normal parameters Kathryn."
A/N:- Hope this chapter was ok, it was hard to write in places. Please review if you have the time :) thanks xsjx
