Andromeda Ascending

Title: Andromeda Ascending

Author: John O'Connor

Email: lushcoltrane@yahoo.com

Rating: Hard PG-13 to R.

Pairings: Slight Janet/F and Sam/F.

Category: First time.

Date: 11 April, 2003.

Series: None.

Website: http://www.asstr.org/~John_OConnor/

Disclaimer: "Stargate SG-1" and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, SciFi Channel, Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. "Andromeda" and its characters are owned by the Tribune Corporation. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

Summary: A strangely familiar woman meets SG-1 on a deserted world. _______________________________________________________

"Where the hell is Daniel?" Jack O'Neill grumbled loudly.

"I believe he was performing one last scan of the ruins, O'Neill," Teal'c said calmly.

"Damn it, I wanna get home. The Twins are playing the Yankees tonight!"

"Sir, I think I see him now," Sam said, pointing towards the trees.

"Daniel, get your butt over here now!" Jack yelled.

Daniel started to trot across the open ground between the trees and the Stargate. As he neared the other three members of SG-1, another figure emerged from the trees and made it's way towards them.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know, sir. Our scans, and the Tok'ra records, indicated no indigenous, intelligent life here anymore."

"I believe it is a female, O'Neill."

As the figure got nearer, Jack nodded appreciatively, "Yeah, I think you're right Teal'c, old boy."

Daniel, unaware he was being followed, was already talking as he reached the group, "...was so weird. But the feeling passed and I realized I was behind schedule. So, sorry I'm late. I know how much you want to see that game tonight."

"Daniel, who's your friend?"

"Huh? What friend?"

"That lovely young thing over there," Jack nodded past Daniel's shoulder.

"I... I don't know. There aren't supposed to be any people here. Sam?"

Sam shrugged, "We can always ask her."

The figure came nearer. It was undoubtedly a female and one of the hottest ones Jack had ever seen. He gave a low wolf-whistle which earned him a glare from his second-in-command.

The woman was a little over five and a half feet tall with short, raven-dark hair containing some bright red highlights. Her face held an exotic beauty that was captivating. She was wearing what appeared to be a one-piece leather jumpsuit, dark-red in color with black border stripes and a plunging neckline.

"Hi there, I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force," Jack said, extending his hand with a big smile.

Taking the hand and giving it a firm single shake, the woman replied, "I am the Andromeda Ascendant."

"Andro..." Daniel started to say before Jack cut him off.

"A lovely name for a lovely lady."

"Sir?" Sam was puzzled by her CO's attitude.

"Well, she's is, Carter."

"I am not a lady. I am the avatar of the starship Andromeda. How did I come to be here?"

"No, this is impossible. You can't be..." Daniel paused.

"Daniel, if the lady wants to be an avatar, let her be an avatar." Looking at Sam, he whispered, "What's an avatar?"

Daniel answered, his eyes locked on the woman. "It's from the ancient Sanskrit word 'avatAra' which means descent. It was used to describe Hindu deities in human form."

"She's a Goa'uld?!?" Jack yelled, moving his P-90 into firing position, his former attempt at charm forgotten.

"No! Jack, wait! I don't think she's Gao'uld. Sam? Teal'c?"

Sam shook her head, "I don't sense anything out of the ordinary from her, sir."

"Nor I, O'Neill."

"I was just telling you where the word... Basically it's meant a human incarnation or embodiment of a concept or idea. They're also used in on-line chat rooms and other things..."

Jack lowered his weapon but stood ready. "So what's she doing here?"

"I don't know why I am here. Or even where here is," the woman replied.

"Here happens to be P76-726. But the planet is uninhabited. Has been for some time apparently," Sam answered. "We thought."

The woman turned her gaze on the taller blonde, her eyes fixed on Sam, "And you are?"

"I'm Major Samantha Carter. This is Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c." The brunette barely looked at either of the others as she acknowledged them. Her almond-shaped eyes barely wavered from Sam's eyes until she spoke again. Sam suddenly felt warm, almost flushed.

"The last thing I recall was the ship preparing to slipstream. I was on the bridge and then I was in what appeared to be a ruined laboratory here."

"The ship?"

"The Andromeda Ascendant, Jack."

"That's the second time you've answered for her, Daniel," Jack said warningly. He turned back to the strange woman, "What is an Andromeda Ascending?"

"Well, on the show, it's..." Daniel stopped when Jack glared at him yet again.

"It is the last of the Commonwealth High Guard starships, a Glorious Heritage class deep space cruiser. It is the most formidable warship ever created," the woman stated with a smug look on her face.

"Is it in orbit?"

"No, Jack. It's on television. You know...'Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda'? It's on..."

Jack whipped around to yell at Daniel. Before he could come up with some choice curses, Daniel's comment registered. "A TV show?!? A TV show? How the hell did she get here then?"

"I don't know Jack. But she's here and..."

"You mean this is an actress?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, her name is Lexa Doig."

"No, I'm the Andromeda Ascendant. The crew call me Rommie. I have never heard of this Lexa Doig. And television was an ancient form of communications and entertainment. I have no such equipment as cathode ray technology on board me."

Daniel gestured towards her, "No, that's not... Look, there is no starship Andromeda."

"Well, how do you explain her?" Jack demanded.

"I don't know. Maybe she was kidnapped and the strain caused her to snap and adopt her character's persona."

"Who would kidnap a human actress? And to what end?" Teal'c asked.

"Yeah, what he said," Jack agreed needlessly.

"I don't know. Maybe if we get her back home and... Sam, help?"

"Sir, maybe we should take her back. Janet can run the usual tests; examine her to make sure the Goa'uld didn't implant any booby traps in her." She paused and scowled when Jack's eyes traveled down to the woman's chest, much of which was on display due to the low-cut leatherish costume. The outfit was so snug that there wasn't much that they couldn't see.

"I don't see any booby traps... Well, as long as security protocols are in place." Jack turned to Teal'c, "Teal'c, dial us home."

Rommie stepped up to Sam, "Where are you taking me?"

"Home. To Earth."

Rommie looked at the blonde, her dark eyes locked on the paler blue eyes of the human. Again, Rommie didn't remove her gaze for an extended period, not until the Gate exploded out in a wave of plasma.

"Who is this, Sam?" Janet asked as Sam led their new acquaintance into the Med Center. From the rather cryptic message sent by General Hammond, she had no idea what to expect. Par for the course at the SGC.

"She claims to be an avatar of a starship. From a TV show of all things. Check her out, please? I have to get to the briefing."

"Sure Sam. Tell the general I'll have a prelim for him shortly."

"Thanks, Janet." Sam smiled and left, glancing at the woman.

"Now, then... You have a name?"

"I am the Andromeda Ascendant, the ship's avatar. But you can call me Rommie."

Janet's eyes were locked with the other woman's as the newcomer purred her name.

"I...I'm Doctor F-fraiser. But you can call me...Janet."

Rommie smiled and her eyes twinkled. "I like that name. And the major's name too..."

"Uh, yeah... Well, let's get on with these...tests." Janet pulled a curtain around to close them off, "Now, please remove your...clothes."

"My pleasure."

"I have the Security Police checking with the Vancouver PD now. But if the woman in the infirmary is this...what was her name?"

"Uh, Lexa Doig, General," Daniel replied.

"Yes, her. If it is this woman, I would think we'd have heard something by now. And, if it is her, who would've done this and why?"

"Good question, sir. Maybe they wanna infest us with lots of sexy young things... You know, to distract us and get us to lower our guard." Jack didn't add 'and other things.'

"Colonel, you may have something there." The look on Jack's face showed he was clearly surprised by this declaration.

"Sir?"

"Until I'm convinced there is no threat. And I mean NO threat, there will be a security guard on her at all times. Naturally.

"Now, Doctor Jackson, where were you when this Lexie..."

"Lexa Doig."

"Yes, when she showed up?"

"I was exploring one of the inner rooms of the temple complex we had discovered."

"It was more of a lab, sir," Sam interjected.

"And it was definitely complex," Jack added.

Daniel glanced at Sam over his glasses, "Yes... This society seemed to equate science with religion. It was a lab within a temple."

"Come again?"

"The outer rooms, where the people would perform their rituals, were pretty much temples. The inner rooms seemed to control whatever devices they used in those temples. And the inner core of rooms seemed to be where some experiments or operations were performed.

"I think the hierarchy of this world used science to make the religion real to the population. The culture seemed to be in a pre-Industrial Revolution stage. The science, on the other hand, was at least equal to ours if not more advanced."

"How is that possible?" Hammond asked.

"Well, if the leaders decided a more primitive people were easier to handle, they'd just have to take control of the science and technology. In a few generations, most of it would be little more than legends."

"Why do such a thing?"

"To protect them from themselves? Suppose they developed some doomsday device that they weren't ready to deal with. Or to trust to others. One method of dealing with that would be to retrograde the society and make it the province of the elite."

"Or to make them less attractive to some technology-hungry species or group, like the Replicators," Sam added.

"Alright, people, we're getting away from the point here. What were you doing when just before she appeared, Doctor?"

"Well, Sam radioed to remind me we were due to return and headed off towards the Gate. I was looking around and left a few minutes later..."

"Daniel, when I radioed you, I headed right back to the Gate. I was there at least twenty-five minutes before you appeared through the trees. We were about to go back and get you."

"Twenty-five minutes?" Daniel's eyes widened innocently. "Really? I had no idea. My watch stopped and..."

"Daniel, did you black out again?" Jack asked.

"A-again? No...no I didn't. I just lost track of...time." He stared into the distance.

Before more could be said, Janet came in with a manila folder under her arm. She handed it to Teal'c who, in turn, passed it along the table to Hammond.

"This is a preliminary report, sir. She's human. Completely. No significant change from Terran physiology. So far. I'm still awaiting DNA results and there are some more detailed scans to run. But, as far as these tests show, she is human.

"I also secured a set of fingerprints as you requested."

"Thank you, Doctor. And there is no threat to the base or our people?"

"No sir. No bombs, no false teeth with bio weapons inside, no booby traps of any kind. I would, however, suggest she remain in the Med Center for the time being."

Hammond looked up, "Why there rather than isolation?"

"Well, it's quiet, no teams are due in anytime soon. And while she...doesn't like a lot of people, she is used to people around her and, apparently, a constant flow of data." Janet smiled, "And I just think she'd be more comfortable there."

"Very well, Doctor. But there will be guards posted outside just in case.

"Now, about this laboratory..."

Daniel looked up, "I don't know much more than I already stated. I think we should go back and...investigate."

"I agree, sir," Sam added in support. "Just in case the technology is more advanced than ours."

"What about this woman? Can she answer any of our questions?"

"I'm not sure, sir. She's convinced she's this computer from a TV show." Sam shrugged her left shoulder, "I could try to find out more..."

Hammond nodded then asked, "Any idea what happened to the inhabitants?"

"None yet, sir. But the four of us could only comb a portion of the ruins. It's the size of a moderate city like, say, Denver."

"Alright. SG-1, you have a go to return to the planet. You'll take whatever additional personnel you need. You'll leave first thing in the morning."

Jack clenched his fist and hissed, "Yes!"

"Colonel?"

"Oh nothing. Sir. Just looking forward to some ESPN Monday Night Baseball, sir."

Hammond smiled and shook his head. "Dismissed."

Sam walked out with Janet, "What is it?"

"Huh?"

"From your request, and your tone, I had a feeling there was something you weren't saying. And your smile looked a little forced."

"Sam, can I tell you something? In confidence?"

"Of course, Janet. You can tell me anything."

Janet stopped in a deserted section of corridor. "This Rommie, or Lexa, or whoever... She..." Janet shook her head, her face reddening.

"Janet...?"

"She was...coming on to me."

Sam stared at her friend speechlessly.

"Yeah, I know. And I have no idea what to say or do either. Overly hormonal airmen are easy to deflate. As are macho COs. But this...

"I've never had a...woman make a pass at me."

"Janet, if it makes you uncomfortable, why keep her in the infirmary? Isolation would keep her out of your hair..."

"But, then I'd be alone with her for the various simple exams and procedures I'd perform. In the infirmary, there are at least a couple of nurses and med techs around."

"Sure it's not the fact that you're flattered...?" Sam joked.

Janet leaned against a supply room door, looking at the floor.

"You are!?!" Sam exclaimed. "You're flattered!"

"Ssh, Sam! It's not like you're thinking."

Sam smirked, she had almost never seen Janet embarrassed and was enjoying it. "How is it then?"

"When was your last date?"

"Uh...that is..."

"I thought so. Same here. And being in here day after day seeing the same people, usually for the same injuries and ailments, gets monotonous. 'Good job patching me up, Doc' is the closest I get to a compliment lately. So, someone finds me desirable? I am a little flattered."

"But it's a woman," Sam hissed.

"Yeah, there is that," Janet agreed.

"Have you... Are you..."

Janet whipped her head up, staring at her friend, "Samantha Carter!"

Sam shrugged and smiled in apology. "C'mon, I'll walk you to the infirmary. I'd like to ask her some questions."

The next morning, Sam had not forgotten that private conversation she had with Janet in the corridor before Sam's Q&A with Rommie. Or what happened during that Q&A.

While Hammond was giving final instructions to SG-1, SG-9, and the three additional archeologists accompanying them, Sam thought about that unusual meeting.

Rommie had been wandering around the Med Center, looking at various instruments and devices when Sam followed Janet into the room.

"Doctor! I am fascinated by these...antiques."

Sam had to stifle a snicker as Janet bristled. "This is all state-of-the-art!"

"I apologize. I certainly don't want to offend you. Or you, Major Carter. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Thank you. What do I call you? Rommie?"

"Rommie is fine. Most of the crew address me that way."

"Rommie, I'd like to ask you some questions. Is that alright?"

"Certainly. I'll answer anything I can. Unfortunately I cannot access my library but my internal memory is pretty substantial."

"Rommie, what year is it?"

"CY 10090."

"What is that in Earth terms?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. Earth isn't more than a ruin now and of little significance compared to the Six Galaxies... I believe it would be approximately 5160 on the old Earth calendar, give or take a decade or two. May I ask why?"

"Remember when I told you we were returning to Earth?"

"Yes. I assumed it was one of the many New Earths that are scattered across the Six Galaxies."

"Nope, this is the one and only. The year is 2001. Anno Domini."

"Hmm...well, time travel has been an accepted fact for several centuries. It is rarely used due to the potential dangers.

"How did I get here?"

"I don't know, Rommie. It wasn't us. But... Janet?" Sam turned and took a copy of the report recently submitted to the general. She glanced at it then handed it to the strange woman, "You read English?"

"Yes, it is still among the thousands of tongues used throughout the old Commonwealth."

"Look this over."

"This is interesting. But your conclusion..." Rommie looked up, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed, "This is wrong!"

Janet stepped up, "I ran the tests myself. You are human. Not a robot. And believe me, I've had my share of experiences with robots."

"I am not a robot. Harper took the chassis from a general maintenance drone and built my android form around that. He may have tried to take some liberties with my programming but I am an android."

Sam shook her head with a small smile. Seemed pretty proud for a machine. "Okay, we'll pass on that for now. What's the last thing you remember before we found you?"

"Actually, I found you. And prior to that I was in some ruins. Looked like a lab of some kind."

"O-kay, before that?"

"I was on my bridge. Beka was preparing to slipstream."

"Slipstream?"

"Yes, travel through hyperspace. It's the only way to cross from one galaxy to another. The distances are too great for standard warp and hyper drives."

"Galaxies. You've mentioned that before. You mean star systems."

"No, galaxies. Like the Milky Way, Andromeda, the Magellanic Clouds..."

"Okay, okay! Fine. If you are from the future, what about the Goa'uld? You mentioned Earth is abandoned. Was this because of the Goa'uld?"

"I have no record of any race called the Goa'uld."

"System Lords?"

"No. Wait, there was a minor planetary dictator near Bucephalus... I believed he called himself his system's lord.

"The Earth was a casualty of the Nietzschean uprising.

This was followed by an attack by the Magog which wiped out most of the remaining population."

Sam glanced at Janet. "We don't know these races. Who are they?"

"The Magog are predators. They breed inside warm-blooded beings. It's not pretty.

"The Nietzscheans are an offshoot of the human race but genetically superior."

Sam was feeling more and more frustrated. "Okay. Let's go back. This Harper... A shipmate?"

"Yes, Seamus Harper. From Earth actually. Old Boston I believe. He's our chief engineer."

"And he built you."

"No, I was built in the Newport shipyards and programmed at..."

"No, I mean the you here."

"Oh!" The beautiful face registered surprise which Sam found strangely endearing. "Yes, based on the holographic image I use to communicate with the crew. After the loss of the ship's company, a physical version of me was most useful."

"Could he have programmed..." Sam shook her head. The woman was real. Alright, follow the psychosis. "What kind of programming did he incorporate?"

"All my basic programming was already incorporated in the ship. The only real program he installed backfired on him. He wanted to make me, in this avatar form, into a sex toy."

Sam and Janet shared a long glance.

"A sex toy?"

"Yes. His program, if I had allowed it to function, would've made me his sexual plaything. I unknowingly accessed it at one point then erased it. But not completely."

"Not...completely?"

"Before that, I was sexless. Most AIs are."

"AI?" Janet asked.

"Artificial intelligence," Sam replied. Janet nodded.

"After I found Harper's rather juvenile attempt, I erased most of it. Some, however, had already become part of my basic core program. I now have sexual feelings and needs." She smiled, "Just not the kind he wanted."

Surprised at the woman's frankness but curious, Sam, in a quiet voice, asked, "What kind...?"

"I found I preferred the company of Beka."

"And Beka is..."

"Beka Valentine, my First Officer. She's also arguably the best slipstream pilot in the Six Galaxies."

"She...?"

Rommie smiled, "Yes. You remind me of her in some respects." She moved towards Sam, "Strong, intelligent, a sense of humor..." The woman's fingers were stroking Sam's jaw and Sam felt some pleasant frissons along her spine.

"Uh...Sam?" Janet said quietly.

Sam jerked back and looked as her friend, her face very red. "Uh...hmmm... I think...I have all I need here."

Sam left quickly, leaving both Janet and Rommie staring after her.

Hammond's voice brought her back to the here and now. Unfortunately, she could also feel the heat in her face. And excitement in other parts of her body.

"Alright, you have a go. Gear up and report to the Gateroom in ten."

The SG teams slowly started to move up from the Stargate toward the ridge. The wind had picked up since SG-1's visit, moving the long grasses in the field with a soft rushing sound.

"Carter?"

"Sir?" Sam turned to her CO who was standing with one foot on the fender of the MALP that accompanied them through the wormhole.

"Wind like this... Rain?"

"I don't think so, sir."

"Yeah, well, my shoulder says different." Ever since he had been skewered by an alien device and left hanging ten feet from the floor of the Gateroom, Jack O'Neill swore he could tell when it was going to rain or snow from twinges in his shoulder. No one bothered to point out that he was right only fifty percent of the time.

"We'll see, sir," Sam said with a chuckle. "At least some of the ruins have roofs."

"Alright. Let's do it."

Leading the way along the already vanished path they had created on their first visit, Jack struck off for the ruined city on the other side of the western ridge.

"Daniel, walk with me," he said.

Sam was close behind and heard snippets of conversation, depending on the wind.

"...like that show."

"Yes, it's a good diversion. I..."

"And you like... ...that ship's activator..."

"Avatar... ...yeah, she's kinda...and sexy."

Sam lost track of the conversation when one of the archeologists came up to her to confirm they were safe from the Goa'uld.

Their conversation ceased as they crested the ridge. The valley within was V-shaped with the widest part along a shoreline. Most of the valley was filled with structures in various states of decline. There was a small river that flowed through the city into the bay beyond. Most of the bridges that spanned the waterway were still intact but care was taken anytime one of the explorers ventured out onto one.

None of the buildings was much higher than five stories but there were crumbled spires here and there.

The roads between the buildings was a near perfect rectangular grid. There were scraps of glass and other coverings on some windows but most were vacant frames.

The external rooms of most of the buildings searched were filled with rotted furniture and moldy books and papers. If there was anything left in them. There were the rusted remains of vehicles scattered in the streets.

But no people. Hardly even any remains. It was both chilling and enthralling.

Looking at the incredible vista, Sam could understand the fascination Daniel and the other archeologists feel for ancient ruins.

Heading into the city, she led the way to the large central structure. The temple/laboratory was in surprisingly good shape structurally.

"Sir? It's SG-1."

"Thank you, Sergeant. Go ahead, SG-1," Hammond spoke into the microphone.

"General, looks like this might take a while. The ruin fanatics wanna look at every square inch of this city. And Carter is enthralled by the newer inner rooms we found."

"Fine. How are your provisions?"

"We should be okay for another week. There's a stream through the city to the old harbor and it looks like some good fishing. Nice change from MREs."

Hammond laughed, "Jack, might wanna remember to use bait this time."

"Will do, sir." Jack smiled into the MALP's camera, acknowledging the fact that his favorite form of fishing involved a pole, a line, and no bait so he wouldn't be bothered by the fish.

"How's our visitor?"

"Interesting."

"Is that generalese for sexy, sir?"

"Contact us again at 1800 hours, Colonel."

"Roger, sir."

Janet went in to check on their guest again. The DNA tests were still pending and she was growing frustrated. It shouldn't take this long. The SGC had priority on any other work being done by the Air Force's contractor.

"How are you feeling?" Janet asked the apparently frustrated Rommie.

"In a word, bored." Rommie was sitting back on her pillows, her arms crossed over her chest, with a sulking look on her face.

"I didn't know robots..."

"Android."

"Sorry. I didn't know androids pouted."

"We take on the characteristics of the primary species we interact with. I'm frustrated and bored, so I'm pouting."

"Well, I could get you some books or..." Janet was standing beside the bed, concern on her face.

"No. But..." Rommie's hand slipped under Janet's lab coat and her uniform skirt to caress her panty-clad mound. "I have an idea of how we could pass the time."

Janet was frozen by shock and surprise. And an unexpected arousal. As heat moved out from her crotch, she suddenly realized where she was and quickly stepped back.

"I... We can't..."

"Why not?"

"It's not... I don't want to."

Rommie brought her fingers to her nose, "I think you do."

"Uh...I have some..." Janet turned and quickly left for her office.

Sam stood in the middle of a large room. The roof was partially fallen in allowing sunlight in but also, unfortunately, the other elements too. There was little here of value: some extremely fragile fiber optics, corroded and moldy circuitry, oxidized metals, and lots of caked-on dust.

Daniel followed her in, looking like her was trying not to sneeze as the disturbed dust wafted through the air.

"This room, Daniel?"

"Nope. This stuff is...junk."

Sam shook her head and headed for another doorway. This had been going on for a couple of hours. The rooms and corridors behind the temple - if that was really it's function - were a maze. And, so far, no one had found the room Daniel had last been in.

Sam hated mazes.

Janet sat at her desk, her head spinning. What was the deal with that woman? She had to be nuts. Thinking she's a TV character. And then...

And then, she had felt up Janet. And Janet's loins were still tingling. This Rommie was right, she had been aroused. Was still aroused.

But that was wrong. She wasn't like that. She had never been with a woman or... Except that time in high school when she and her best friend made out - practice for when their dates...

Janet shook her head. No. That doesn't count. She was straight. Is straight.

But those eyes...

"Sam! Come here! Take a look at this."

Sam followed the shout down one of the branches the main corridor took. She found Daniel in a room full of what looked like computers. Or rather, what was left of them.

"Sam, look at this. I think there's still some power here."

Sam came over to the dust-encrusted console Daniel was in front of. Sure enough, there was a lit indicator light. But indicating what?

And where was the power source?

Sam looked up at the dark ceiling. She keyed her mike.

"Colonel?"

"Go ahead."

"Sir, we found a computer console...or something that has a light on. Can you check and see if there are any solar collectors on the roofs around here?"

"Will do. You find the room he was in yet?"

"No sir. But we've searched just about every other place that could possibly be in this building."

"Keep me posted."

"Of course, sir. Carter out."

Sam turned back to Daniel, "C'mon, Daniel, lets go check out some more rooms. We're bound to find what we're looking for."

"Uh...yeah...okay." Daniel was scribbling in his notebook and glanced back, "Go on ahead. I'll only be a second."

'That's what you said the last time,' Sam thought. 'And we ended up with a crazy, sex-happy lesbian on our hands...'

"Yes sir. Upon further consideration, I think it'd be okay to move her to one of the secure guest rooms."

"Very well, Doctor. And keep me posted."

"Yes sir." Janet hung up the phone and went to collect her patient.

"Rommie, I'm going to take you to some quarters that you might find more comfortable."

"I'm an android. I don't feel discomfort."

"Okay, do your little Data imitation. But I want to keep these beds clear in case we need them. Come along."

Rommie hopped off the bed, never taking her eyes from the doctor. "Will we be alone?"

"Huh? No! I mean, you will be. I'll be in to check on you from time to time. But... Just come on."

Having already procured the key from Security, Janet took her to one of the VIP rooms and led the woman inside.

"This is adequate," Rommie concluded after looking around the relatively stark room.

There was a bed and an end table, a desk, a couch, and a couple of chairs. The walls had some art prints and a couple of the standard Air Force pictures of fighters over mountains. There was a television on a platform suspended from the ceiling. On one side, there was a door leading to a full bathroom.

"Are you hungry? Would you like to get something to eat? Can I get you anything?"

Rommie turned to Janet and smiled, "I do not eat. But you can help me..."

Janet could barely breathe as Rommie stepped up to her. The woman's fingers brushed a strand of hair back over Janet's ear. When Janet shivered at her touch, Rommie smiled.

"You want it too. Don't you?"

Janet closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't. I'm an officer..."

Janet's words were stifled when Rommie covered the doctor's mouth with her own. Instead of pushing her away, Janet's arms slipped around the woman as she opened her mouth to the woman's probing tongue.