The Gift Star Trek: Voyager Novels & Stories

“Please accept this as a mark of our gratitude. My contact info is inside—if you ever need the Carrington pack’s strength for any reason, you only have to howl.” I peered inside. Unless I had lost my mind, that was a key fob for a custom-built armored SUV—a Blackwood-edition beast. I felt a rush of vertigo. I’d acted on instinct to save a life, and this… this was the tribute? The last time someone had thanked me for a good deed was back in the Navarro nursery, when I’d shared my elk jerky and got a wooden carving. This was… insane. “This is incredibly lavish, but I truly cannot accept a gift of this—”

Ryker explained, showing off a matching pendant on his necklace that glowed a soft blue. "Wow, Dad, this is such a thoughtful gift. I know you enjoy crafting things like this," Ivan exclaimed. "I made your gift, Ivan. I'm glad you like it," Ryker said. "I have something for you too, Ivan," I mentioned, snapping my fingers. A gift materialized in my hand from the room. When Ivan unwrapped it, he found a green muffler scarf, which I had knitted myself. "Thank you, Flora. I love it," Ivan said, his genuine smile warming my heart.

After a moment, the door opened, and a pale human man with short, salt and pepper hair stood before the group. “No soliciting,” he said, moving to close the door. “We’re not here to sell you anything,” Gaia said. “We have a gift for John and would like an audience with him.” The man’s eyes narrowed. “What gift?” Gaia kneeled, opened her suitcase, and pulled out a package. She stood up and handed it to the man. “It’s delicate,” Gaia said. “Please be careful.” The man closed the door. “I guess we wait and see if the gift grants us entrance?” Thea said. Alpha Rin had procured the gift for them with his international connections.

One flew ahead, while the other two were behind us, eliminating as many Anomalies as they could to clear our way. I gave them a heads-up whenever I sensed Anomalies that were too close or moved too fast for my peace of mind. They found that really impressive, and one of them—a guy they called Kaye, a talkative, friendly type—jokingly said that if he could trade Gifts with me (he can apparently make his hair glow in the dark), it would be his ticket to Anomaly-slaying stardom. I cracked a smile at that. “Sensing and attracting Anomalies is a side-effect of my Gift. I’m an empath, you know.”

Edith says, cocking her head to one side as she looks at me with her sultry upturned eyes. “Uh… yeah,” I answer. “It’s just…” She continues to look at me, her gaze never wavering. “Well, navigators are supposed to give transfer students a gift. I didn’t know until just now that I’m supposed to be your navigator, so…” “Oh, don’t be silly!” Edith says with a smile. She points up to the top shelf of my locker. “I can see the gift right there!” I follow her finger with my eyes to the top shelf of my locker. There’s a small wrapped box sitting there, but I definitely didn’t put it there. Did Atwood or someone else arrange the gift?

I already had a bad feeling that I knew the gift the system wanted me to sacrifice. “No.” I didn’t even need to ask which one. There was only one item in my room that fit that description. Vincent’s scarf. It sat folded neatly on the edge of my bed, soft cream yarn catching the afternoon light. ''It's handmade,'' he told me when he first wrapped it around my shoulders, ''Made with the best yarn I could find'' It was the most thoughtful present that I had ever received and I even cried a little. It was perfect in the most beautiful way.

“And now, to the best part. I have a gift for you.” A gift? Was the highly revered Alden King going soft on him? Alden pulled out his cell from his pocket and showed Steven King a sleek, luxurious yacht. It had a black and golden exterior. “Do you like it?” Did he like it? Was Alden pulling his legs? He checked the old man’s face for signs of mischief but could find none. Deciding to be cautious, he said “Yes, it looks very nice.” “Good. Because it's yours. Happy birthday.”

Years of missed milestones compressed into a single gesture. "Thank you," I repeated, taking the flowers. Their familiar scent brought an unwelcome wave of nostalgia. Hunter stood slightly behind Mason's wheelchair, fidgeting with a gift bag. Unlike his brothers, he seemed unable to meet my eyes directly. With visibly trembling hands, he reached into the bag and withdrew several sparkling healing gems—premium quality, the kind that were increasingly rare—and a bright red hand-knitted scarf. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, staring at the ground. "We've... owed you for so long."

From intricate jewellery pieces to lavish home appliances, the presents seemed to overflow with the good wishes and affection of their loved ones. Gloria helped Vipin and Sonia navigate the sea of presents, maintaining a list of each gift and the name of the person who gave it. She wanted to ensure they could adequately thank each other later on. As the couple unwrapped each gift, they felt overwhelmed by the love and support surrounding them, knowing that these gifts were not just material possessions but tokens of love and blessings for their new journey together.

Then we walked back to the room. I was smiling from ear to ear while walking and I almost want to kiss the bracelet he gave me. This is the first gift that I got from him, except for the lost necklace of course. “You look so happy, Yveon! You almost look like you’re out of your mind.” I hissed at Triton but he gave me my wallet, “Here’s your wallet.” “Thanks!” I said. He nodded at me and invited me inside the classroom because apparently, Grant was nowhere to be found already.