Star Trek: Myriad Universes #1: Infinity's Prism by William Leisner & James Swallow & Christopher L. Bennett

Author:William Leisner & James Swallow & Christopher L. Bennett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2008-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

Harry Kim loved helping Annika Hansen take her clothes off.

It wasn’t just due to his admiration of her exceptional beauty; Annika herself took palpable pleasure in disrobing (in private, anyway), and that was what brought him the most joy. After the Doctor had removed her Borg exoskeleton and most of her implants, he’d still required her to wear a close-fitting dermal sheath that protected and nourished her newly formed skin, as well as taking over certain of the exoskeleton’s sensory and motor feedback functions, which her remaining implants still required to operate at full efficiency. Wishing to avoid unsightly bulges, the Doctor had secreted the few bulky components of the sheath in high heels that the holographic physician insisted were quite stylish, though Annika insisted she would stumble over them constantly if not for the balance-regulation mechanisms built into them. But stylish or not, the sheath was embarrassingly tight for Annika, and she normally wore loose, bright dresses over it.

But as time wore on and her body continued to adapt, Annika was able to spend more time per day out of the constricting sheath, and she preferred Harry to be with her when she did—a sentiment he wholeheartedly shared. True, it was partly because the sheath was easier to remove and put on again if she had assistance, but he was gratified that it was his assistance she preferred. He was glad that Captain Janeway had seen fit to maintain a relaxed policy toward shipboard romances since Voyager ’s recommissioning. Perhaps her own belated relationship with Chakotay—and regret at her long delay in pursuing it—had contributed to that decision. Of course, Annika had no formal rank; a life of leisure in Unimatrix Zero had not been sufficient preparation for service on a Delta Coalition ship. She filled some of the roles Neelix and Kes had performed in the past, helping grow food in the aeroponics bay and then preparing it as the ship’s chef. Even though there was no longer any need to ration replicator use, Voyager ’s crew still enjoyed meals prepared by hand—and frankly, they found Annika’s culinary tastes rather more palatable than Neelix’s.

Finally the sheath fell free, and Annika stepped forward and stretched, reveling in the freedom. Harry was happy to watch her. He looked forward to doing much more, but she enjoyed taking time to revel in the air against her skin and the freedom of movement. She liked to make conversation while he watched, to distract him from his inevitable reactions to the sight. “That Kilana’s pretty,” she said.

“I didn’t notice.”

She threw him a skeptical look, her full lips quirking. “I didn’t like those Jem-har of hers.”

“Jem’Hadar.”

“Whatever. They were really unfriendly, and didn’t even try the food.”

“Their loss. But they’re good fighters. They could be useful against the Scourge.”

Her skepticism grew more serious. “Unlikely. All they have is fighting prowess. We have plenty of fighters already. What can they do against a power as advanced as the Scourge?”

Harry was reminded again of the keen mind that resided beneath her girlish manner.

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