"As With Everything That Sapient Beings Do, It All Comes Back To Sex,"

"As with everything that Sapient Beings do, it all comes back to sex," the other me explained. "When Linda was in training at the academy in San Francisco she hit her head while rock climbing and suffered traumatic brain injury. In your universe Star Fleet has advanced a great deal beyond what our own has in terms of micro-transporter and bio-replicator technology, and her brain was repaired with replicated cells. In our universe, following our encounters with the Borg, we have made quantum advances in nanite and cybernetic enhancement technologies. Thus Linda's damaged neural pathways were repaired with a nano-circuit cyber interface. The lasting effects of this simple dichotomy have been profound. Your Ensign Trask continues to cling to her Neo-Catholic upbringing, which treats extra marital sex as an abomination. Ours, by contrast, not only was raised Shinto, but began examining other modes of thought and eventually became a Unitarian Universalist." My double looked at me with the most peculiar expression.

"When the virus hit we helped each other survive it, already being involved in a sexual relationship at that point. More to the point, though, she helped the ship generally survive it by issuing a ship wide order for all members of committed unions to report to their quarters at once. She of course suffered ten lashes for usurping the captain's authority, but that was after the crisis was passed. Because of her efforts there are one-hundred-ninety-seven men and eight hermaphrodites still alive on our ship, whereas in your much more sexually repressed and hidebound vessel of the 180 or so male crewmen the only survivor was YOU."

His tone became nigh accusatory at this point. "You are the only male aboard your vessel, yet, from what Linda has been able to glean, you have not had sexual relations with ONE of the several dozen crew members who have been trying desperately to seduce you. Ensign Skylar T'Vanu Davis do you have any idea how SELFISH that is?" My Double demanded.

I pride myself on being an even tempered man, but having a voice that I normaly only heard inside my own head haranguing me for exercising restraint in this situation pushed my self control to the breaking point. "That is easy for YOU to say T'Vanu! You HAVE an existing sexual partner who helped you through the crisis, I had to endure by will alone!" I shouted at my double. "If I let go for even a fraction of a second I could fall into the same madness as the rest of the males on this ship and THEN where would we be? With no fully trained helmsman and lost in uncharted space? You have the luxury of relaxing your self control, assuming you ever HAD any; I DON'T!" It was only then that I realized how close I had already come to loosing control completely...

"..." My double sat silently for a hands count of seconds, then spoke softly. "Skylar, will you share my thoughts? I think I can help you regain the equilibrium you seem to be on the edge of losing." He said with a calm that I very much envied in that moment...