Fully Functional

by Christine Morgan

---

Fully Functional
Christine Morgan (vecna@eskimo.com)
comments welcome
Author's Note: all characters except Galatea belong to the creators of Star
Trek and are used without their authorization. This story takes place after
my other Star Trek tale (Wa'DIch Ghom). Mature readers only, please.

	"Wes, leave her tits alone."
	Wesley Crusher reluctantly moved his hands. "I wish they were
bigger."
	"They're fine. Trust me."
	"Trust you?" Wes laughed. "Come on, Broccoli, you've never even
been laid except on the holodeck."
	Reg Barclay, "Broccoli" to the younger engineering staff, gave
Wes what he hoped was a withering look. "That is not true."
	Wes smirked.
	"Well, even if it is, that's not the point," Reg continued. "Her tits
are perfect just the way they are. Quit thinking like a teenager, Wes."
	"I am a teenager."
	"Yeah, well, you're also an ensign."
	"Oh, ensigns like small tits? Then how come everybody ogles
Counselor Troi instead of Flat-chest Farris?"
	Reg sighed. "You're impossible. Listen, if her tits were any bigger,
she'd start to look abnormal. She has a certain elegance, the legginess and
grace of a Risan pleasure dancer. You don't want her to be topheavy, do
you?"
	"Geez, Broccoli, you sound like you want her for yourself."
	At that moment, the door hissed open to admit Commander
LaForge. "Wes, Reg, there you --" he broke off, staring at them and the table
between them, which held the motionless body of a nude woman. His jaw
dropped. "What ..."
	"Geordi!" Wes blurted. "We -- um, that is ... it isn't what it looks
like! She's not alive!"
	LaForge's gape widened.
	"No, that's not what I meant! She's not dead! She's ... well, ur,"
Wes stammered.
	"What the hell is going on here?" His barely-contained roar would
have made even Worf take a step back.
	Reg gulped and looked him square in the face. "We're building a
woman for Data."
	Geordi whoofed as if the breath had been knocked out of him. He
staggered a bit, braced himself against a console, and said in a very calm
polite tone, "What?"
	Having bounced back with the resiliency of youth and foolishness,
Wes started babbling an explanation. "He's always trying so hard to be
human, but he really feels alone, except for Spot, and do you remember
when he built that girl, but she died? Well, he could have built another one,
but he'd think of her as a daughter, and we thought maybe if we did it, he'd
look at her as, you know, a woman. Not a sister or anything, but a girlfriend.
I met a guy at the Academy when I was on that tour, he was interested in Dr.
Sung's work and gave me copies of all his research, and Reg and I thought,
well, Data's birthday is coming up, and Commander Riker's throwing him
that surprise party, so we thought we'd give everyone a surprise and fix him
up with a date. We didn't tell anyone else because I thought Captain Picard
might tell us not to, and so we've been working here, in secret, but now that
you're here and you know about it, you could help us!"
	He stopped, breathing fast, his eyes alight and hopeful as those of a
puppy looking for a sign of approval.
	Reg was suddenly grateful that LaForge's visor concealed his eyes,
because he was sure that he and Wes were on the receiving end of a
withering look that was much more effective than his own.
	Speaking very slowly and carefully, Geordi said, "You are building
a woman, for Data, as a present?"
	Reg nodded. "We actually could use your help, sir. You're more
familiar with Data's positronic brain than anyone but Data himself, and
we've been having a few problems. Gland boy there doesn't think it matters,
but I thought Data might prefer having someone he could have intelligent
conversation with, instead of just a sex machine."
	"Sex machine! That's a good one, Broccoli!"
	"Shut up, Wes," Geordi said absently. "You two constructed a
positronic brain? Just cobbled one together in your spare time?"
	"Yes, sir. It wasn't as hard as it sounds. Getting the materials
without anyone finding out, that was the hard part. Except, of course, that
we haven't been able to bring her on-line. Maybe if you took a look ..."
	"Come on, Geordi," Wes said. "Data's your best friend. Don't you
think he'd like a girl he could really relate to?"
	"Why do you think Data needs a girlfriend?" Geordi asked. "He
took out that emotion chip, remember?"
	"But he wants to be human, or at least understand us better.
Nothing's ever worked out for him with human women, why not an android?
She'll be his perfect companion." Reg gestured to the table. "At least look at
her. We've come this far. What do you think?"
	Scowling, Geordi stepped closer. As he studied the android
woman, his frown was gradually replaced by a reluctant impressed smile.
"Nice work, guys," he admitted.
	Reg and Wes grinned at each other, justifiably proud. "We call her
Galatea," Reg said. "Ancient Earth mythology, Greek, to be precise.
Pygmalion the sculptor made a statue of a woman and loved her so much the
gods brought her to life."
	Galatea, still and silent under the dim lights, resembled an
enchanted princess in a fairy tale. Her face was serene, as if awaiting only
love's first kiss to awaken her. Except for a couple of places where her
creamy skin was folded back to reveal circuitry, she was the image of a
human woman.
	"She's beautiful," Reg said, "But if we can't get her brain
functioning, we might as well give up and get an inflatable doll."
	"Do you think you can help, Geordi?" Wes asked eagerly. "The
party's at the end of the week."
	"I'll help." Geordi sighed. "I feel like Dr. Frankenstein, but I'll
help."
	"Don't think that way," Wes said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Dr. Sung, not Frankenstein."
	"I still want to know what you guys expect to happen. Data doesn't
have the same needs and drives as a human man. He doesn't need sex."
	"But he can, right?" Wes asked. "Ship's gossip is that he and Tasha
--"
	"You shouldn't believe all the ship's gossip," Geordi snapped.
"Even if he can, that doesn't necessarily mean that he'll want to. It doesn't
mean anything to him. It doesn't affect his system."
	"Galatea will," Reg said, smiling. "She's designed for it."
	"What are you talking about?"
	"Look." Reg popped open a patch of skin on her breast, folding it
back. "See these? They'll react to the low-grade electric current in Data's
skin. Her mouth and vagina are lined with similar sensor/transmitters.
Basically, any skin-to-skin contact with these will cause the charge to
intensify, jumping between their systems, causing an electrical response.
The vaginal ones are even more intense. Continual contact will build up the
charge until it is released in a burst of electronic stimulus."
	"You're talking about android orgasms?" Geordi said.
	"Yeah!" Wes said.
	"It causes a temporary overload of the synaptic functions of the
neural net," Reg elaborated.
	"This is unbelievable."
	"That's what I thought at first," Reg said. "But all our tests indicate
that it'll work."
	"Tests?" Geordi looked at them. "You didn't ..."
	"Gosh, no," Wes said. "We're not really sure what it would do to a
human man. It should be safe, but, well, she's Data's."
	"If she wants to be," Reg put in. "That's why we want to get her
brain working. So she can think and make her own decisions."
	"Well, let's get to work!" Geordi said. "Show me your project
notes. Do you have a positronic scanner? What calibration did you use to
develop the matrix?"
		*		*		*
	"This is foolish," Worf grumbled.
	"Lighten up, Mr. Worf," Will Riker said. He approached the
Klingon with a spangly top hat, thought better of it, and donned it himself
instead.
	Worf growled. Deana rested a hand on his arm and smiled gently
up at him, and his growl subsided. Riker looked at them curiously for a
moment, then shook his head. Deana and Worf? What a silly idea. He went
to check on the bartender and make sure the special neutron punch hadn't
eaten through the punchbowl yet.
	"It is foolish," Worf repeated in a lower voice. "Lurking in the dark
in someone's quarters to surprise them? A warrior would react violently."
	"You didn't react violently when you caught me in your quarters,"
Deana reminded him teasingly.
	He gave her a stern warning look, then, seeing that nobody was
watching, uttered another low growl much different from the first. She
responded in kind and squeezed his hand before putting a pointy polka-dot
hat on his head. He rolled his eyes but submitted.
	Across the room, Will Riker stopped beside Beverley Crusher.
"They look awfully chummy," he said, nodding toward Deana and Worf.
	"Mmm-hmm," Beverley said, sipping from a glass of champagne.
Her eyes danced at him over the rim.
	"Anything interesting to relate?" he prodded.
	She shook her head, smiling secretively. He loomed over her with
jutting jaw and intimidating eyebrows, but she wouldn't relent.
	An ensign by the door hissed for quiet and doused the lights. There
was a good deal of whispering and muffled giggling, a few anonymous pats,
pinches, and gropes, and the door opened to admit Data.
	"Surprise!" they all shouted.
	Data's head cocked. "Surprise. Ah. The surprise party custom. In
honor of the anniversary of the date upon which I was originally activated
by the colonists."
	"Mr. Data, I don't think you're very surprised." Riker clapped a
festive chapeau onto the bemused android and took him by the arm. "Come
on and cut the cake."
	"The very definition of a surprise is that which is unexpected. This
is hardly unexpected, Commander, as you have a history of planning similar
gatherings for most of the officers. Still, if you will instruct me, I will
attempt to behave in a suitably surprised manner."
	"I told you, Will," Deana said. She handed Data a box wrapped in
bright foil. "Happy birthday, Data." She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss
on his cheek.
	"Thank you, Counselor." After cutting thirty-six pieces of cake
with mathematical precision, Data scanned the room and asked, "Where is
Geordi?"
	"He must be late down in Engineering," Riker said.
	"Actually, I think he and Wesley have something special planned,"
Beverley put in.
	Just then, the door slid open again and Geordi came in,
accompanied by Wesley and Reg Barclay. Close behind them was a woman
who drew all eyes to her as she stepped into the room.
	She was tall and lithe of build, with long slender legs and a narrow
waist. Her breasts, to which Wesley had objected, were flawlessly shaped
and perfectly proportioned. She wore a formal gown of tawny gold that
exactly matched her eyes. The gown fastened behind the neck and left her
smooth arms bare. A slit up one side revealed shapely leg to mid-thigh. Her
auburn hair, rich as polished mahogany, flowed loose to the middle of her
back. She was a fire woman, all red and gold and the promise of heat.
	"Well, this party's livening up already," Riker said. He approached
the woman, who was looking around the room as if searching for someone.
"Hello."
	Her gold eyes fixed on him. "Commander Riker," she said. Her
voice was low, pleasant, with just the right touch of huskiness. "Riker,
William T., First Officer of the Enterprise."
	"And you are ...?"
	"I am called Galatea."
	There was something familiar about her, but Riker couldn't place it.
He offered a hand. When she took it, a mild and not unpleasant shock went
through him.
	"Commander, I see you've met our guest," Wes said, grinning.
	"Why don't you go have some cake, Wes?" Riker gave the boy a
move-along signal, which Wes pretended not to see.
	"Data!" Geordi called. "Over here. There's someone I want you to
meet."
	Data threaded his way through the crowd, balancing a pile of gifts.
His hat was askew and a confetti streamer was draped over his ear from a
party favor Riker had earlier popped on him.
	"So, how long have you been on board? I wasn't aware of any
passengers, or shuttlecraft." Riker braced one hand on the wall, allowing
him to lean close to her.
	Reg and Wes smirked at each other and exchanged whispers
behind their hands. Riker ignored them. He was too busy enjoying the way
her gown clung to her cleavage. When Geordi barged in, pulling Data by the
arm, Riker had to bite his tongue to check an angry remark.
	"Galatea, this is Data, the birthday boy," Geordi said.
	It was as if William T. Riker, First Officer of the Enterprise, was
rendered invisible. Galatea stepped past him like he didn't exist. She held
out a hand.
	Data shifted packages and took it. He had been well-trained in the
human social arts. But when his fingers closed over hers, he dropped all his
gifts and stared at her.
	"I am called Galatea," she said. She was only an inch or so shorter
than him. Gold eyes mirrored gold eyes. "You are Data, an android."
	"Yes."
	"I am also."
	"What?" Riker said.
	Wes laughed out loud. The partygoers crowded around, a babble of
voices all exclaiming basically the same things. "How's that for a real
surprise?" Reg asked nobody in particular.
	Throughout all the commotion, Data and Galatea stood with hands
still clasped. "You are an android?" he finally said. "Are you a construction
of Doctor Sung?"
	"No, but my design was based upon his research. I was constructed
by Barclay, Crusher, and LaForge. I am your birthday present."
	"Hold it!" Riker bellowed. "Geordi, I think an explanation is in
order." He hit his Starfleet pin. "Riker to Captain Picard."
	"Go ahead, Number One."
	"We have a situation here, sir. It appears that some of the
engineering staff have given Mr. Data a woman for his birthday."
	Silence. Then: "Say again, Will?"
	"A woman!" Riker nearly yelled. "A babe-class supernova of a
woman!"
	"Will," Deana said warningly, discreetly taking his drink before he
crushed the glass. Worf, behind her, was struggling to contain a grin. She
elbowed his stomach.
	Another silent pause. Then: "Mr. Danvers, you have the bridge. I'm
on my way. Picard out."
	"Ooh, now we're in for it," Wesley said. As usual, he utterly failed
to look serious. His mother twisted his ear. "Ow! Mom!"
	Beverley twisted harder. "That mouth of yours is going to get you
thrown right off this vessel, young man."
	"It is against Starfleet directives to practice slavery," Data said.
	"I am not a slave," Galatea replied. "Although I was designed to be
compatible with your systems, I was also given free will and decision-
making capability."
	"The contact of our hands produces a distinct effect," he observed.
She laid her other hand along the side of his face. He twitched slightly, then
blinked and cocked his head again. "Interesting."
	"Certain areas of my body appear to contain sensor/transmitters
capable of delivering that effect," she said. "A self-diagnostic reveals that
my lips are so equipped, as well as other areas that humans refer to as
intimate."
	By now, everyone in the room was utterly silent. Expressions
ranged from shocked disbelief to lustful gapes. Riker was red-faced, but
more from anger and embarrassment that he had been making a pass at an
android.
	"It seems logical that those areas would correspond to human
erogenous zones," Data said.
	"Perhaps a test would be in order," Galatea suggested.
	"A test?" Data echoed.
	"Kiss her, Data," Geordi urged. "That's about the only sort of test
you'd want to make in front of all of us."
	"Yeah, go on! Kiss her!" Wes said.
	Others began picking up the sentiment, until it was a chant ringing
in the small room. Only Riker, who was nearly apoplectic, and Worf, who
did not go in for such sophomoric displays, did not participate.
	Galatea stepped over the scattered gifts, plucked the purple
streamer from Data's ear and dropped it. She then put her arms around his
neck. Data rested one hand at her waist, and with the other pushed back her
hair. He leaned forward, and the chant died off as everyone held their breath
in hopeful expectation.
	Data pressed a panel behind Galatea's ear. It flipped open
obligingly. He examined the circuitry inside her head. "Fascinating," he
said. "Your positronic matrix appears nearly identical to my own."
	"Data," Geordi groaned. "You're supposed to kiss her."
	"Oh. Yes." He closed her panel. "Galatea, do you object?"
	"No."
	He inclined his head to the exact calculated angle to avoid nose
collision while allowing for maximum mouth contact, and pressed his lips to
hers.
	At that moment, Captain Picard walked in. He found a jubilant
crowd of his crew surrounding Data and a stunning woman in a gold gown,
the two of them locked in a kiss of increasing passion.
	"Ahem."
	"Captain!" Reginald Barclay said. The nervous engineer started to
salute, changed his mind, started to bow, changed his mind again, and ended
up shifting from foot to foot like a preschooler needing the restroom.
	The crowd fell silent. Riker, his face almost the color of a plum,
tugged at the bottom of his shirt in a way he'd copied from Picard and
strutted imperiously over to him. Data and the woman were still kissing,
apparently oblivious to their surroundings. Obviously oblivious, for now
Picard saw that Data was cupping one of the woman's breasts.
	"Mr. Data!" Picard said, his voice cutting whiplike through the
room. He finally got the android's attention.
	"This is what I was talking about, sir," Riker huffed. "This woman
was Geordi's gift to Data."
	Picard turned to his chief engineer. One sardonically raised
eyebrow spoke volumes.
	"Actually, Captain," Barclay said, "Commander LaForge wasn't
actually the one responsible. He only helped. Wesley and I actually built
her. Actually."
	"Built her?"
	"Yes, sir. We call her Galatea."
	"It was my idea," Wes chirped. "Ow! Mom!"
	"Captain," Galatea said. "Picard, Jean-Luc." She offered her hand,
quickly learning and absorbing these human customs. "Greetings, Captain."
	He shook it, noting as Riker had the faint pulse of electrical energy.
"Welcome aboard, Galatea. Crusher, Barclay, LaForge, report to my ready
room at once. The rest of you, as you were. Mr. Data?"
	"Yes, Captain?"
	Picard smiled. "Carry on. And happy birthday."
		*		*		*
	"It was a wonderful party, Data," Deana said. "Are you sure you
don't want help cleaning up?"
	Data manufactured a smile. "That will not be necessary,
Counselor."
	She glanced past him, to where Galatea was looking at one of his
paintings. "This has been an unusual evening for you. What do you think of
Galatea?"
	"Having only minimal conversation, I can safely say she is most
intriguing."
	"Do you think you'll ..."
	"What, Counselor? Engage in sexual activity?"
	"Well, yes."
	"It is uncertain. I have little interest in human women, and they
have always found my lack of emotional involvement disappointing,
regardless of my extensive skill and knowledge of human reproductive
anatomy and sexual techniques. Galatea, however, is not human. Her unique
design has already proven to affect me. I believe I would like to learn more.
Such exploration would be inappropriate while I still have guests."
	Beverley Crusher breezed by, her color high and eyes bright, a
handsome new medical tech on one arm and an unopened bottle of
champagne in the other. "Goodnight, Data! Happy birthday!"
	"Goodnight, Doctor, Ensign Blake."
	Riker was in a far corner, passed out. Wesley, having gotten into
the Romulan ale after his lecture from Picard, was snorting giggles into his
fist as he applied lipstick and rogue to the unconscious First Officer. Reg
Barclay was huddled over the small table by the window, urgently and
drunkenly explaining dilithium decay theory to a bored girl from the botany
lab. Most of the rest had already left. Worf lingered behind Deana, trying to
look as if he wasn't waiting for her, but Data knew better.
	"Goodnight, Counselor," he said. "I hope you and Lieutenant Worf
have a pleasant evening."
	She started, then blushed faintly pink. "Thank you, Data."
	"Well, Data, we'd better be going," Geordi said. "I have late shift in
Engineering. See you tomorrow. Reg! Time to go! Wes, knock it off. Come
on, guys, let's get Commander Riker home."
	Between them, they dragged Riker, head lolling, from the room.
Soon, the last of the partygoers had departed, with one exception.
	Data observed that his quarters were strewn with half-empty
glasses, spilled snack foods, discarded hats, and other debris. Normally, he
would have straightened the mess. Tonight, he had something else to attend
to.
	She turned as he approached. "Shall I return to Engineering?"
	"You have not yet been assigned quarters?"
	"No. My arrival on this ship was highly irregular. I have neither
crew nor guest status. As the Captain only just was informed this evening of
my arrival, it may take some time for arrangements to be made."
	"You are welcome to stay here. It would please me if you did."
	"This is an unusual situation," she said. "We have met for the first
time tonight. Is such sharing of quarters common among humans?"
	He recalled Doctor Crusher and the med tech. "Romantic liasons
on brief acquaintance are not uncommon, though it has been my observation
that most humans do tend to wait and explore other facets of a relationship
before moving to sexual encounters. Unless, of course, that is the entire
purpose of the relationship, as evidenced by Commander Riker's numerous
reports of the Risan culture."
	"There is much I need to learn. Although I have detailed fact-files
on a wide variety of subjects including the personnel and mission history of
this vessel, I am unfamiliar with human social interactions."
	"They are a complex and contradictory species," Data said. "I have
spent the past several years attempting to assimilate and duplicate their
behavior. I will gladly share my findings with you."
	"Data. I have been monitoring you this evening. I was designed for
you, but also with the capacity for free will. It is my determination that you
are adequately, even admirably, suited for my expectations of a potential
mate."
	"I have made the same determination."
	"Is it the customary duty of the male to be the instigator, or would
it be permissible for me to kiss you again?"
	"Human culture has grown beyond such gender-based
specifications." He moved closer.
	Galatea once again put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
	"I am most intrigued," Data confessed. "Your touch seems to cause
spontaneous sensory bursts and impulses along my synaptic clefts. This
could be considered analogous to the human phenomenon of 'seeing stars.' It
is unlike any sensation I have previously experienced."
	"My neural net responds in similar fashion." She guided his hand to
her breast. "This contact, too, creates significant reactions."
	"Yes," he said, correcting his balance as the new influx of stimuli
caused him to stagger.
	He fondled her, experimenting with differing degrees of pressure.
He found the nipple area to be the most responsive, though apparently
dulled by the cloth of her dress. It was a simple matter to unfasten it and fold
it down to her waist, leaving her upper torso gloriously bare.
	He compared her to Tasha Yar, noting certain differences of body
type, size, and texture. Tasha, like most human women, had been
moderately larger on one side, and without supporting garments her breasts
had sagged a bit. Galatea, however, had none of these imperfections. Her
breasts were, he believed the proper word was, perky. The electrical
impulses even caused the pale rose-hued nipples to tighten.
	Much in the manner of a human woman, Galatea had closed her
eyes to better deal with the constant barrage of stimulus. Her hands moved
over him ceaselessly, restlessly, opening his uniform to slide over his skin.
	They conducted their explorations in silence, without the gasps and
moans that he knew accompanied human sexual activity. He was instead
able to determine the extent of her arousal by the changes in her galvanic
skin responses.
	The continual firing of positronic circuits demanded an increase of
oxygen, so it was no surprise that both of them were breathing more rapidly.
Galatea stepped out of her shoes, necessitating a correction for a decrease in
effective height for their next kiss. It was a logical step to insert his tongue
into her mouth, resulting in even more synaptic bursts.
	She had successfully divested him of most of his uniform. His
assistance was necessary to remove the rest, and in the process she also took
off her gown. Her lips caused sensation wherever they touched him, from
the line of his jaw down over his neck to his smooth chest. All the while, he
caressed her breasts and buttocks.
	Her pubic mound was covered with crisp curls a few shades darker
than the hair on her head. He probed within, fiding the tissue soft and
cushiony yet still firmer than that of a human. He also found that the
synaptic bursts inreased in intensity. Her entire body shivered.
	A moment's concentration activated the voluntary systems that
enlarged his penis. He had never asked Doctor Sung why he had been
created with sexual apparatus, assuming that it was to make him able to pass
more normally among humans and to distinguish him as male. Humans, he
had noted, had marked problems with gender neutrality and androgyny even
after four centuries of interaction with various alien species.
	Whatever the reason, he was grateful to his father/creator for
choosing a male design. He was even more grateful when Galatea gripped
his stiffened penis. She slid down his body until she was kneeling, and took
it in her mouth. The impulses caused by contact with her lips and tongue
necessitated him bracing himself against his console.
	"I suggest we retire to the other room," he said.
	She rose, nodded. He led her to the bed, which was made with
mechanical precision. He did not need sheets and blankets for warmth,
affecting them because the humans did. He folded them back and the two of
them lay side by side.
	"My internal sensors appear to demonstrate enhanced
responsiveness," she observed.
	"It is not unreasonable. This area," he said, pressing a finger there,"
corresponds to the location of the clitoris, the most sensitive part of a human
woman's sexual anatomy." This time, he did see stars, an electrically-
induced temporary malfunction of his optical systems akin to hallucination.
	Galatea emitted a soft oscillating sound. "Fascinating," she said.
"Continual or repeated contact appears to geometrically increase the
intensity of the stimulus."
	"It would be logical to conclude that penetration and motion
resembling that of human copulation would permit us to explore this
theory."
	"Yes."
	He positioned himself between her legs. With none of the awkward
squirming that had characterized his encounter with Tasha, he smoothly
drove his penis into Galatea's vaginal orifice. They quickly found a rhythm
that allowed for maximum stimulation with ease of movement. Further
synaptic burst were triggered by kissing and caressing.
	Their positronic circuits began firing faster, sending currents of raw
energy through their neural nets. Some of the excess energy spilled over,
resulting in a shower of blue and white sparks dancing and arcing along
their skin.
	Panting now out of need for oxygen, Galatea said, "It appears a
minor synaptic overload is imminent."
	"Agreed," Data replied. More excess energy was being released as
heat, triggering his skin's moisture cooling system.
	She began to say something else, then her jaw snapped shut and her
throat arched. Data found himself likewise unable to speak.
	It seemed that every connection in his brain was fusing, sending a
barrage of disjointed images skittering along his optic cables. All cognitive
functions temporarily shut down.
	For an instant, his systems cross-patched to the residual echoes of
the emotion chip and he was actually feeling, feeling an array of emotions
that he had only read of previously. All were positive: joy, passion, even the
fleeting ambiguity humans called love.
	Data recovered slowly. Systems came back on-line one by one, in
no particular order. He withdrew from Galatea and lay beside her, a few last
sparks crackling in his fingers and hair.
	Her eyes opened, gold and glowing. She turned her head toward
him. "A most interesting experience," she said.
	He kissed her. "Most interesting indeed."
	"Happy birthday, Commander."
		*		*		*
The End

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