STAR TREK VOYAGER by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket STAR Books
Published: 1998-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

PRIANA LISTENED DISINTERESTEDLY AS TAMAAK FILLED them in on the final results of their examinations with the doctor. All of the Skedans, right down to the infants in the pouches, had been to sickbay.

Because he is a non-organic, I cannot read his thoughts, know precisely what he knows. But I can guess. Most of us were able to resist the urge to use our telepathic powers. For that, I commend you. I know how difficult it is. But some of us weren’t, especially the younger ones. It is my hope that the Doctor will assume that this is a natural function of the younger members of our race. Just as our metabolisms are faster as we are younger, he may assume this is nothing more than something that disappears as we age. We can—Priana!

Priana jumped, startled at the shout in her mind. Yes, Tamaak?

The elder, who had always frightened her just a little even as she knew he was a kind and wise leader, had fixed her with an angry stare. What is this? What have you been doing to the lieutenants Paris and Torres?

N-nothing … . But one could not lie convincingly in a mental link.

He strode toward her, forcing the thoughts from her shield. Hot embarrassment and fear of Tamaak’s reprisal coursed through her as he saw what she had been thinking, doing, and dreaming. His face grew first angry, then sad. Gently, to Priana’s surprise, he placed a paw on her shoulder.

Oh, Priana … I thought you knew better than this.

So what if she has taken a fancy to Paris? interrupted Imraak. He is an inferior species. If Priana wants to make him forget about this Torres and devote himself to her for the duration of this journey, why shouldn’t she?

Tamaak whirled. He opted for speech, so that even the weakest telepath among them could understand the full depth of his outrage. “For millennia, ever since our brains evolved to the point where we could read and send thoughts, we realized the invasion of free will this could pose,” he growled, drawing himself up to his full height as he advanced on Imraak. “We respected the barriers of others. We do not probe their thoughts unless we are invited, we do not force our will on others—”

“And what are we doing on this ship right now?” retorted Imraak, also speaking aloud. “Are your morals so flexible that you can pick and choose exactly where and how you will exercise them?”

“That is a different situation, and you know it, Imraak! That is the goal of our people, our very race. This—this whim of Priana’s is selfish and hurtful and I will not permit her to continue!”

Priana was mortified. She wished she could melt through the floor. She lowered her head and covered it with her arms, whimpering. All along, she had known it was wrong. But Paris was so appealing, even in his human ugliness, so sweet and clever and funny … and only that ridge-headed, sour-tempered engineer stood between them.

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