Chakotay said as Janeway came to the Bridge, "We're in luck, Captain. It's a class M planet, humanoid, prosperous from what we can tell. Pre-space flight civilization, but considerably more peaceful than Earth at the same technological level. There are any number of materials we badly need and which they mine or harvest in one primitive form or another.

The captain smiled, "Excellent. We have to be careful of the Prime Directive, of course. We just have to find something to trade."

Paris spoke up, "Why not just replicate whatever their currency is?"

"Because that would be counterfeiting and inflate their economy," Tuvok said primly.

Janeway said, "I agree, Mr. Tuvok. However, Tom, I'm not naive. We'll do that if there is no other way. It's not as if we would be flooding them with worthless money, Mr. Tuvok. If we can actually arrange it in a mutually beneficial way that would be preferable."

"Yes, mam," Paris said, "but if they are pre-space flight we can't give them technology like we usually do."

She smiled, "Well, we just have to find out what they need. Why don't you join an away team with Commander Chakotay. Oh, and take Seven; she would be excellent at recognizing the materials we need no matter what form they are in...and Ensign Kim; we have to get the holosuites back up and running and he would know best what that takes. "

"Ahem," Tom Paris said. The captain looked curiously at him.

Chakotay said, "There is something about this culture you should know before we send a team down to blend in."

Janeway looked around, seeing the discomfort on the faces of two of those she had assigned to the team.

* * *

In the Transporter Room, Seven of Nine looked at Harry Kim's red face. "Ensign, I fail to understand why this is so difficult for you. The Captain as I understand it is replacing Commander Chakotay for that same reason on this mission. Lt. Paris seems at ease with it."

Harry Kim had his hands over his crotch. He glanced at Seven's naked body and looked quickly away. Oh, God! he thought. "I'll just bet Tom likes it. It's a cultural thing, Seven. Modesty is a very human trait. And I think the Captain is replacing Chakotay because she doesn't want to order someone to do anything that she wouldn't do herself."

Seven of Nine walked around in front of him. "Why do you keep turning away from me, Ensign?" Harry found himself looking directly at her large white breasts. They kept it a little cool here because of the transporter technology; her nipples were erect. He caught a glimpse of a muscular abdomen and blonde pubic hair. He turned away again. "Ensign Kim, are you well? Your face is red, your breathing is labored, and you are standing in a hunched position. Perhaps I should summon the doctor."

"Seven, come help me with this," Janeway's voice came. The beautiful naked young woman walked away. "Can you recheck these, please?"

"Certainly, Captain."

Harry heard her come up beside him. He heard the captain's voice, "Harry, you can't keep hiding. We need you on this mission for your expertise just like we need Seven. You are going to have to deal with this. She's naked. You're naked. I'm naked. Tom's naked. I know how you feel. That's why I'm leading this mission."

Harry Kim didn't look at her but he said, "Excuse me, Captain, but you don't know how I feel. You're a woman."

She sighed, "Yeah, Harry, I know about that. I also know that nudity becomes natural very quickly. And, Harry, what you are so scared of happening is no big deal if it does. Maybe I didn't phrase that right. Harry..."

"Please don't say it, Captain," Harry said.

Janeway brushed her red hair back and looked down at her own naked body. She was the one who should be upset. She was at least fifteen years older than the others. It made her cringe to look at Seven and then at herself, even though she knew she was in excellent condition. She was afraid Harry was going to just drop dead from embarrassment though. "Harry, if Seven or I see you have an erection it doesn't mean anything. I understand and Seven is a Borg. Harry, what you might do..."

"Oh God, Captain. Please don't say what I'm afraid you're going to!" Harry said.

"Harry, masturbation is..."

They heard the whoosh of a door open. "Everybody ready to go? Sorry I'm late. I was replicating my suntan lotion."

Tuvok's voice came, "Mr. Paris, you are not going on vacation."

Janeway whirled around and covered her breasts and crotch. "Tuvok, what are you doing here?" she almost yelled without thinking. Paris was standing there naked beside Tuvok in his uniform, the only person in the Transporter Room wearing anything.

"Captain? Are you well?" the dark Vulcan said. He had come to verify something in Astrometrics with Seven of Nine before the away team left.

Janeway was acutely aware of Seven, Harry and Tuvok looking at her in amazement at her outburst. Paris was just barely keeping a straight face. Janeway made herself drop her hands to her side. "I'm all right, Tuvok. Being unclothed like this is complicated for humans. I was expecting these others but not you. It's how I think of you...you being older than me...it's too much to go into at the moment."

"Very well, Captain," the Vulcan said, mystified once again at irrational human behavior. That even Captain Janeway exhibited it was a deep disappointment to him.

Janeway looked over and saw Harry had relaxed considerably. She was glad that happened now. It broke the tension and let him feel he wasn't the only one uncomfortable. She said, "Tom, what are those?"

"Wayfarers, mam. They wear dark glasses down there. You'll probably want to get some yourself after we beam down. It's a sunny warm climate. I mean you'd figure that, right?"

She looked at him and smiled wryly. Tom enjoyed the humor of it. He said something quietly to Seven and she gave him one of her arched eyebrow looks. He and Seven were fine with this. They were beautiful standing naked together. It impressed the captain that Paris wasn't having the same problem as Harry considering what Seven looked like. Janeway was resolutely heterosexual but seeing Seven of Nine's perfect white body even gave her ideas. The word luscious came to mind. She and Harry were the ones with the problem. It was too bad they couldn't send Tuvok and B'Elanna in their places. B'Elanna had actually volunteered--Janeway suspected in order to watch how Tom looked at Seven. But the Vulcan and half-Klingon would be too alien looking. Seven's remaining Borg implants could be explained as jewelry, but Tuvok's ears and B'Elanna's forehead ridges couldn't; and Janeway wouldn't have them physically altered for a mission just for her and Harry's modesty, even if B'Elanna did volunteer. Might even be good for me and Harry, she thought.

"Let's go, " she said.

* * *

Janeway was relieved that she had been right about nudity quickly becoming natural. She could tell Harry was still not looking at Seven as much as he could. He doesn't seem to have any problem with me though, she thought resignedly. Not exactly complimentary, Harry. The ensign also had considerably more to him than she had anticipated. Tom was about average from her experience, which admittedly wasn't extensive. Harry was as endowed in his way as Seven was. Maybe that's partly why he's embarrassed, she realized. Harry was a guy who most of the time didn't want to be the center of attention, preferring to just do his job. When he was naked though...

"Captain.." Tom said, breaking her reverie. She looked over and saw several people were coming towards them. They were wearing clothes.

"Oh God," Harry Kim said.

"Tom, do you have an explanation of this?" Janeway asked, forcing herself to not hide behind him.

"No, Captain. We sampled transmissions from all the populated areas and no one was wearing clothes," Tom said awkwardly.

There were four men and three women, all wearing clothes that had a crisp uniform look to them. One of the men said, "Mind telling me what you're doing wandering around in your birthday suits?"

Captain Janeway said, "We thought this was customary here."

The man said, eyeing her and the others, "And why would you think that?"

"The media supported that conclusion," Seven said clearly. By this time Harry Kim, Captain Janeway and Tom Paris had all begun covering themselves with their hands and arms but Seven just stood there with her usual perfect posture and her hands clasped behind her.

One of the women spoke up, "They mean the broadcasts from the Maltanians. They think that everybody is like that. If that's all they had to go on it makes sense."

The leader was listening and said, "Where can you be from that you don't know what's going on? Been living in a cave for the last 20 years or something?"

Janeway said in a choked voice, "We made a mistake..."

"I'd say so," the man answered.

"Who are the Maltanians?" the captain continued.

The woman said, "They're a religious cult. We abandoned television on a global scale when it became apparent it was addictive and inevitably coarsening in its effect. The Maltanians saw it as a tool to spread their cult."

"So they go without clothes," Seven said. "Why did you not think we were Maltanians?"

The man answered, "They don't really go around naked anymore than anybody else. Those transmissions are sorta like pamphlets or something. If we were in harmony we'd be naked, I think is the idea. But we aren't in harmony. Didn't you listen to what they were saying?"

"Apparently not," Janeway said looking at Tom Paris.

"We all thought that; Chakotay, Tuvok... not just me!" he said defensively.

"We will be on our way then, and return properly attired," Captain Janeway said, trying to salvage what dignity she could.

"On your way where? Where'd you come from like that? You just drop out of the sky or something?" the man asked perplexed. "We can't let you just wander around naked. We have laws."

Harry was thinking, Oh God! It just keeps getting worse and worse. His face got even redder as he saw two of the uniformed women say something to each other and smile as they looked at him.

The leader said to Janeway, "You'll come in with us. We'll get you something to wear and let you go. You don't seem to be up to anything. I sure don't think you have hidden weapons, anyway."

Janeway had her breasts and crotch covered now with her hands. She said, "Can you give us something in the meantime?"

The leader looked around at his subordinates. They were all in one-piece uniforms. "I sympathize...but we don't have anything that won't leave one of us naked...and we have to live here. Come on, let's go."

Seven had her hands unconcernedly at her sides as she walked along and looked curiously at the others. She stepped beside the captain. "I do not understand. You were fine before. Now you and Tom Paris seem as upset as Ensign Kim was in the Transporter Room. He is calmer than you now."

Janeway glanced over and saw Seven's breasts jiggling as they walked. "It is all contextual, Seven. As it turns out, Harry was right in a way. I'm humiliated." They had entered a town and were being pointed and stared at by families. The ex-Borg was completely at ease, Janeway realized with envy.

"I do not understand," Seven said, baffled. She walked over beside Ensign Kim. "You were upset before but are not now, at least comparatively. Explain."

Harry Kim glanced at her and smiled slightly. "Well, I have to admit that seeing Tom so embarrassed almost makes it worth it to me. And, the captain was right...it did start feeling natural. I kinda liked it. And the girls seem to like me, I've gotta say." He blushed as he said that but had regained his good nature.

Seven looked around and said, "Yes, I observed that. And the men seem to be looking at me in a similar way, with their pupils dilating and their faces congesting." She looked at Harry then right down at his groin. "It is because you are exceptionally well endowed in your sexual organ. Much more so than Tom Paris, even though he is the one with the reputation as an expert at sexual matters." Harry blushed furiously trying to cover himself better, again losing his composure completely. Seven continued studying him then said like she had had a revelation. "And that is why the men look at me that way, and you and others on the ship do. Because my breasts are comparatively large, and that augments their attractiveness as a secondary sexual characteristic."

Harry was looking away from her again, flustered by her. He said, "Yeah, that's it, Seven. Though it's not just your.....it's everything about you. You're gorgeous. Your face, your hair, your body, everything."

She still was just walking along letting her buttocks jiggle and her breasts bounce as she talked with Harry. She said, "I am very glad I was a part of this mission. This has clarified a great deal for me. Thank you for enlightening me, Mr. Kim. I even understand your earlier behavior. Because of my gorgeousness and large attractive breasts you wanted to put your exceptionally large penis in my..."

"God, Seven! Will you shut up about it?!" Harry said frantically. He realized there were people walking along and listening attentively to her. Looking over he saw Tom's face was red and he was looking down at himself. The captain was smiling slightly and caught Harry's eyes and rolled her own eyes.

"Oh, you are stimulated at this very moment. I understand. All right, Ensign. I will refrain from standing too close to you with my beautiful naked body and full ripe...."

"Seven! Stop it!"

"Very well, Ensign Kim. Perhaps you are under extra pressure because of your exceptionally large sexual apparatus."

Harry got an idea. "Tom could probably answer a lot of questions for you. Like you said, he has the reputation as a sexual expert."

Harry heard Tom softly curse and the captain chuckle. Seven said, "That is an excellent suggestion." She moved away from him and he heard her say loudly "Lieutenant Paris. Your penis is noticeably smaller than Ensign Kim's. Is that inferiority why you were more comfortable with being naked? You felt no pressure, because no eligible females would desire you as a sexual partner. Why would they, since your genitalia is so small compared with Harry Kim's large sexual organ?"

"Yeah, Tom, what about it?" Harry said.

There was a large crowd of people following the four naked emissaries from Voyager. First one young woman then another and another said, "Yeah, Tom, what about it?" Is that it?" "I'll bet that's it." "He's not so bad. It's not THAT small." "Not for a hamster."

They finally reached their destination and went inside a building leaving the laughing crowd outside. The four were immediately brought blankets. Seven just held hers until Janeway indicated for her to wrap it around herself.

* * *

Chakotay looked up. "Welcome back, Captain. Did the away mission find anything we can give them?" The captain, Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Paris had come on the bridge without a word.

Tom Paris mumbled to himself, "A good laugh."

Janeway wanted to punch Chakotay in the mouth but just said. "There doesn't seem to be anything we can offer them. We will follow Mr. Paris's initial suggestion and replicate their currency to buy what we need."

Tuvok began to say something but stopped at the look the captain gave him. "Very well, Captain," he said disapprovingly. "I trust the social situation was as we prepared you for."

Janeway was glad she didn't have a phaser on her. She said, "Not exactly, Mr. Tuvok. You and Commander Chakotay could have discovered a little more, I think. We'll discuss it later. Seven found it a fruitful experience."

Harry Kim began to chuckle but froze as the captain turned a look on him.