Row upon row of raised stone benches fill half the room. Upon most of these there is a human body – and all are dead. They are naked, twisted, tortu...red and discoloured. I approach one and stare into his face. It is a man barely older than me with dark blotches disfiguring most of his face. But the expression he wears chills me to the bone. I look at several more and they are all the same; men and women, all slaves and now mercifully dead. As far as I can ascertain their ages vary as do the. Uhura is a wonderful woman, a fine officer, and a friend I can count on. It's a shame we never shared more than a kiss between us, though. I still remember that kiss when that mind-enhanced culture forced us to be affectionate. Sadly, I can see her noticing men and it makes me remember I no longer have the proper equipment to get her attention, let alone make her happy. I had always hoped that there would come a day when we would get closer, but I never expected it to be as "bosom buddies." At. Only now, she too wore nothing except a wide bracelet around her left wrist. She stood looking at me as I studied her. I didn't try to scan her."Why?" she asked."Why, what?" I volleyed."Why do you not evaluate me?" she elaborated."Because you can manipulate what I would find," I replied.When she laughed, there was a distinct newness to it. "You were right, you know, when you called us the Old Ones. We are a race beyond your time. A culture beyond the confines of your concept of time and space,". Intimate lovers. My hands were on his arms and my legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. The urge to move was almost overpowering. I could see it in him and he could see it in me. Our eyes were locked together, both of us breathing more heavily now.“Just stay still. Just a moment longer.”He nodded. Then, it began. As we looked at one another, the look on his face shifted to one of pure carnal pleasure and he sucked in his breath. He closed his eyes for a long moment and I could see the.