I must admit I half-expected to see the bridge crew engaged in some kind of major orgy when Kokuru and I emerged from the ready room, but surprisingly that wasn't the case. I felt even more guilty about losing control when the rest of my crew apparently kept their composure.
"Status of the Borg?" I called out.
"They are on an intercept course with us," Davis replied. "They will be within weapons range within ninety-three minutes."
"Maintain maximum speed," I ordered. "Be on the lookout for anything we might use to either escape the Borg or delay our encounter."
"Captain?"
I turned, and saw that Lieutennant Greene was looking at me with desperate eyes. "Yes, Lieutennant?"
"Request p-permission to leave the bridge for a few minutes, please."
She was right on the edge - I could tell. I wanted to give her permission to take another crewmember with her, knowing first-hand the advantages to satisfying her needs in such a manner, but there wasn't time to explain things. "Take fifteen minutes, Lieutennant," I replied.
"Thank you, Captain!" She bolted from the bridge.
"Kokuru, you have the conn," I said. "I need to confer with Dr. Akria on an important matter."
* * * * *
I found the doctor huddled over her workstation, concentrating fiercely on her duties. I got the idea that she hadn't satisfied herself for some time.
"Can I interrupt?" I asked.
She jumped. "Jeri! I mean, Captain."
I waved it off. "Jeri's fine when we're alone together, doctor."
I could tell by her expression that I might have chosen wiser words. She obviously had just been struck by a vision of what else we could do alone together. "What can I do for you, Captain?" she asked, trying to maintain composure.
"I need to speak with you in confidence. I might have a partial solution to our little problem here."
"The Borg, or the... other matter?"
"I wish the Borg would be as simple. The fact is, Doctor, that I seem to have been able to essentially eradicate the unusual sexual cravings from myself, and it's possible that other crewmembers might adopt the same technique. It's unorthodox, and it sure as hell isn't something I'd want to put in my log, but -"
"What is it??" she cried. Almost immediately, she recomposed herself. "I'm sorry, Captain. I've tried to deal with this, but it's very difficult."
"We're all going through it, Doctor."
"So," she said, sitting back down. "What have you come up with?"
I took a deep breath. "Approximately fifteen minutes ago, First Officer Kokuru and I had an intimate encounter."
She raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, you've been under unusual pressure lately, I suppose it's only natural that you might have a harder time resisting the effects of the virus."
"That's not the point, Doctor. The point is, both of us seem to have completely satisfied our cravings. It's as if the virus is gone."
That made Akira sit up and take interest. "You're certain?"
"I can't be sure it's permanent, but for the time being, I am unaffected."
Dr. Akira stood up and held a medical tricorder up to me. "I've configured this unit to scan for the virus and the antibodies, as well as the standard responses to sexual stumuli," she said. "Hmm... it does seem as though your system has adjusted to a more normal state. The antibodies are still present, however."
"But I don't feel the effects."
"It's my opinion that they will resurface over time," she said. "But you're right, you don't seem to be showing evidence of unusual sexual excitement for the moment. I think I'm inclined to agree with you - you have found an interim solution."
I took a deep breath. "Doctor, I don't see how I'm going to issue a ship-wide order for the crew to fuck each other."
She shook her head. "No, of course not. For one thing, poor Ensign Davis would find his dance card remarkably full."
I thought of Davis for a moment, and a little shiver ran through me. The tricorder blipped at the same moment.
"See, it's starting again already," Dr. Akira said. "This is a temporary solution at best."
"Anything that keeps our minds on the job when we encounter the Borg is worthwhile. Doctor, I'm having a department head meeting in ten minutes. I... expect your head to be clear when you arrive."
She took a deep breath. "Understood, Captain."
As I left her office, I heard the Doctor activate her communicator. "Nurse Leena, please report to my office right away."
I felt a tiny urge to remain to see what would happen next. Easily ignored, but the doctor was right - I wasn't out of the woods yet.
* * * * *
The conference room was full a moment later. First Officer Kokuru was there. She seemed hesitant to even look in my direction, but I gave her a little smile and she seemed to relax a bit. Dr. Akira appeared relaxed and focused for the first time in weeks, and I knew she had taken the necessary step that I already had. Chief Engineer Laura Bethan had hungry eyes on Tiloth, the ship's sole Andorian who had been field-promoted to Security Chief after I had taken command. I wondered briefly if the virus affected her species as well, as she showed no outward sign of sexual desire that was recognizeable to a human. Lieutennant Greene was present as Science Officer, and though she had recently taken care of her own needs, she was obviously still affected. Davis would ordinarily have been there, but his attention was still on the helm - probably just as well, considering what I was about to announce. I had also asked Ensign Jzon Nyla, a Bajoran, to be present, as she had been assigned to the Enterprise at the most recent encounter with the Borg in Terran space (during what had later become known as the "First Contact" incident). If she was still in the throes of the virus, she was hiding it well.
"We're here to discuss two matters," I began without preamble. "One is the Borg. The other is something we've been rather reluctant to talk about, but it's become impossible to ignore. I refer to the virus that infected us during our encounter with Minya's vessel. We are all aware of the heightened sexual desire caused by this virus. We ignore it further at our own peril, as we cannot afford to be distracted when the Borg arrive." I took a deep breath. "We may have a temporary solution to the problem."
The table waited silently.
"What I am about to say next will not be entered in the log," I continued. "It is not an order, but I advise you all to take it very strongly under consideration. Evidence suggests that the effects of the virus can be countered, at least temporarily, by engaging in sexual intercourse with a partner. Since there is only one male remaining on the ship, and he can hardly be expected to service all the women in this manner, it will be necessary for the officers and crew to engage in lesbian sex."
I saw Tiloth nod slightly, and realized she had already come to this conclusion. I wondered briefly who she had shared the experience with, and noticed with irritation that my libido was definitely on the rise.
I cleared my throat. "If anyone wishes to... act upon this adivce at this time, we will suspend the meeting for ten minutes."
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