NOTE:  All lines words inside  *this*  are thoughts of the main
characters.  **This** indicates another being's thoughts inside one
of the main character's mind.
 
   THE  FATES  SERIES
    "A Destiny Woven"

By:   Alys Landale
Email Address:  Alys_Landale@Yahoo.com
 
 There has always been a thin line between bitter enemies
and passionate lovers.  Tom Paris and B'lanna  Torres were no
exception.  One minute they were involved in a bitter verbal battle
while the next they were wrapped up in one another's arms.
Tonight was a mere justification of this truth.
 "'Lanna, I already told you,  the captain was asking for
volunteers on this next away mission, so naturally I thought you
and me."
 "And the captain."  B'lanna shot her mate an icy glare that
would put even Janeway's  signature stare to disgrace.
 "Look, I didn't know Janeway meant two volunteers to go
'with' her on this mission.  Besides, you could use some time away
from those engines of yours.   I've seen more of Neelix lately than I
have of you.   If you don't watch out you just might end up loosing
me to him."
 Tom flashed her his classic Paris smile, hoping that maybe
it
would save him from her oncoming  wrath.  Lord, all he had
wanted was a few days away with her but due to some twist of
fate,
he was now sharing a five day excursion with not only his soul
mate
but his personal savior as well.
 *And with the captain present, that means I'll be doing a lot
less 'soul-searching' with B'lanna,* Tom thought.  *Not that I'll be
doing much of that now with her as pissed off as she is.*
 "Hello! Paris!  The least you could do is listen to me while
I'm talking."
 Tom was pulled out of his reverie by the sound of an angry
half Klingon practically screaming in his ear.  *Nope, definitely
not
getting any tonight.*
 "Huh? Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"
 "I said that next time you might want to ask my consent
before you go making decisions for me.  After all I'm a big girl.  I
can make my own decisions."  B'lanna was fuming.  How dare he
volunteer her for this.  She had work to do in engineering.  Sure,
Joe could probably handle it, but that wasn't the point.  The last
time he had made a decision for her it had been against her wishes.
He had appealed to Janeway to let that murderous Cardassian
butcher operate on her despite her orders not to.  If he hadn't she
would have died, but at least she would have still had her honor.
 "And if there is a next time 'ensign'  I'll have to pull rank on
you and have you cleaning Jeffrey's Tubes for the rest of your days.
Understood?"
 Tom slightly winced at her statement.  The single pip still
scorched his hand when he touched it, reminding him of his failure
to the captain, his father, and to himself.  His pride refused him to
show any of his shame of his new rank when others teased him of
it.
He would simply go along and laugh with them even though his
insides were breaking.  But when B'lanna teased it hurt even
worse.
She thought it was just simple fun and joking.  How wrong she
was.
 "Yes ma'am lieutenant, I won't do it again.  But since we
are
going to be spending the next five days with the captain why don't
you come back to my quarters and I'll make it up to you."
 The last bit was half teasing and half sincerity.  He wanted
her even if that meant spending a night with her pulling rank on
him, however, with her current mood, he shouldn't hold his breath.
 B'lanna stared at him in disgust.  First he tells her where to
go now he tells her where to go and what to do.  This man!  He
could be the most loving unselfish man one second and the
biggest,
most conceited jerk the next.  Right now he was leaning towards
the latter.
 Instead of adhering to her Klingon heritage and screaming
at him with her full temper,  she moved seductively towards him.
Pressing her body to him so that not a shed of light could be seen
between the two,  she whispered into his ear,  "Pig!"
 Having said that, she stormed past him towards her cabin.
 Tom leaned against the corridor wall.  *God help the poor
soul who crosses her path.*
 Moving on his way back to his own empty cabin,  he let out
a sigh, "Screwed if you do; screwed if you don't."   *Well, maybe
not in my case.*

 It was dinner time and not having enough replicator rations,
Tom was forced to take a visit to the mess hall.  After a short trip
to his cabin, following the recent fight with B'lanna, he had waited
until the majority of the dinner crowd had gone.  For some reason
he hadn't wanted to see anyone just now.What was he kidding.  He
was brooding over this B'lanna thing.  They  had been fighting
even
more than usual lately and the fights continued to get worse.
 *I  just don't know what the hell to do.*
 At that moment Harry walked over, interrupting his
thoughts.
 "Hey,  Tom,  getting here a little late aren't we?"
 "Yeah,  I had a few things to take care of.  How about you?
You're usually one of the first ones here."  Tom tried to turn the
subject around.  One thing he didn't want to do was burden his
friend with his own problems.
 "I went to get Naomi and got a little back-tracked myself.
Sam had a few things to take care of and won't be able to make it
here until later, so she asked me to bring Naomi."  Harry looked at
his friend.  Lately Tom had been a acting a lot more distracted and
it hurt him to know that he wouldn't come to him with whatever
problem he had.   But he didn't want to pry so he just waited for
Paris to clear the air for himself.  Whenever that may be.
 "Naomi's here?"  Tom perked up a little more with the
mention of her name.  Voyager's littlest crewman was one of the
only people aboard the ship who could put him in a good mood no
matter what.  He was her 'Uncle Tommy' and she was his little
'Cricket'.
 "Yeah, I think she's over there with Neelix."  Harry said
gesturing toward the open kitchen area.  Sure enough, there was
Naomi, listening to a bustling Talaxian rant about his latest
culinary
masterpiece.
  "Hey Cricket." Tom called to the little girl.
 Hearing her nick-name, Naomi's face lit up and she ran to
her favorite 'Uncle'.  He held out his arms and caught her when she
jumped into his embrace.
 "Whoa, Cricket.  If you get any bigger we're going to have
to find some other kind of greeting."  Tom laughed as he said this.
Even if she was sixteen,  he'd still treat her like his little lady.  And
that meant their classic greeting whenever they saw one another.
 "I'm not getting too big.  I'm not even as tall as your legs
yet."  Naomi protested.
 "Well you’re getting there.  Soon you'll be taller than
B'lanna is.  Actually I think you already are.''  Tom always joked
about B'lanna's pettiness.  And for a half klingon that was the worst
form of ridicule possible.
 "You'd better not let B'lanna hear you," Harry warned.
"Otherwise she'll beat you so bad, you'll both be the same height."
 "Yeah, I guess you have a point," Tom acknowledged then
turned his attention back to Naomi.  "So Cricket what're you
planning on eating this fine day?"
 "Ummm,  something purple I think."
 At that moment Neelix appeared beside the three.  "So,
Tom, I see you made it here.  I was beginning to think you were
eating in your cabin."  Neelix outstretched two trays of food in
both
hands.  "You arrived just in time to finish the last of my Leola
Root
Stew.  I saved Naomi some casserole as well but I'm afraid I didn't
know you were coming.  I'm sorry."
 "It's okay Neelix.  I'm not all that hungry anyway.''  Tom
took his tray from the Talaxian.  Just as Naomi had said, it was
purple.  "So Cricket, where do you want to eat?"
 The mess hall was practically empty except for the few
slackers who had come in late.  Almost all the tables were empty.
Naomi quickly ran over to a table by the window, pulling Tom by
the arm as she went. Neelix and Harry followed as well, each
carrying a tray.  Tom sat down and quickly pulled Naomi into his
lap, her typical eating place while she was with him.
 "Here you go, Naomi," Neelix said as he set the tray in
front
of her.
 "Thanks Neelix,"  she replied.   Taking a long look at the
plate in front of her, she pushed her food around her plate the same
as Tom was doing.
 "So, Tom," Harry said as he sat down next to the two. "I
hear you and B'lanna are going with the captain on this away
mission."
 "Yeah, not that B'lanna wants to." Paris replied with a
snort.
 "I didn't know Uncle Tommy was going somewhere."
Naomi said between bites of her purple goo.
 "I'm just going to a nearby planet to get some dilithium.  I'll
only be gone for about five days.  Not that long."
 "Why can't we all go?" she asked.  It was clear that the little
girl wasn't too happy too be losing her favorite playmate for the
next few days.
 "Well," Harry started, "there is this nebula surrounding the
planet.  The captain thinks that it might be a little dangerous for
Voyager to enter it so she's taking an away team to go down to the
planet to retrieve some of the dilithium.''
 Naomi's brow furrowed in concentration. "If it's dangerous
for the whole ship to go in then what about a shuttle?"
 Tom turned his full attention to Naomi.  The last thing he
wanted was for her to worry about him the whole time he was
gone.   "Don't worry, Cricket.  The reason we're taking a shuttle
instead of the ship is because it doesn't put off the same kind of
radiation.  If Voyager went into the nebula it might ignite some of
the particles and then I'd have to use my expert flying skills to bail
us out again."  Harry shot Tom a look but the pilot continued. "But
if we take a shuttle then the radiation won't be high enough to
ignite
any of the particles."
 "So nothing's going to happen?"
 Tom adjusted the little girl in his lap so that she was facing
him instead of the table.  "Nope,  it'll be clear sailing all the way.
And to prove it,  when we get back I will be your personal escort to
one of the new holoprograms I created."
 "What's it about!"
 "Well I can't tell you now, then it wouldn't be a surprise."
Tom had to stifle a laugh as he watched the excitement build on
the
little girl's face.  "But I will promise you this,  you'll be the first one
to try it out."
 "Really!  You don't think you could come back any sooner
do you?"
 "I wouldn't count on that,  but I'll be back as soon as I can.
You know me, I'd never cancel a date with a girl as beautiful as
yourself."

 B'lanna paced around her cabin.
 *How dare he do this.  Who does he think I am?  I can't
leave the ship for FIVE days, it would fall apart!*
 Deep down she knew that everything would be fine though.
Joe could take care of things and there hadn't been a crisis in
almost
a month.  But still, she hated the fact that Tom had neglected to
ask
her about her opinion on the matter.  Somewhere deep down she
knew that he was probably right.  She had been spending a lot of
time in engineering.  She'd seen more of the warp engines than she
had him in the last few weeks.  And that was what made her so
mad.  The fact that he had a point ate at her soul the same way it
had when he had pleaded with Janeway to let that Cardassian
operate on her.  After all it was her life, he had no say in the
matter.
 *Or does he?*
 They had been a couple for quite a while now.  Did he
think
he had the right to make choices for her?  To run her life?
 No,  he would never do that and she knew it.  Her anger
wasn't over their recent argument,  it was over something else that
had been building for some time now.  They had been having more
and more fights as time went on and she seemed to start most of
them.  The problem was she didn't know why she kept trying to
push him away and it was driving her insane.
 *Oh well, no use thinking about this right now.  I have to
pack.*
 As she began packing she thought to herself,  *Tom Paris
you are going to pay for this.  I promise you that.*
 And Lieutenant B'lanna Torres always kept a promise.
 
 0800 rolled around and the away team gathered in
shuttlebay to board the Delta Flyer.  They each came separately,
Captain Janeway entered as usual with Chakotay by her side,
B'lanna  and Harry came in next, and Tom was the last to arrive.
 Tom was about to walk over to B'lanna but a young ensign
stood in his way.
 "The pre-flight check has already been taken care of
Lieu---
umm Ensign Paris."
 " Okay thanks."  Tom pushed past the ensign but B'lanna
was already on the shuttle.
 "Well Mr. Paris I believe we should be leaving now."
Janeway said. "Now Commander I trust you to take good care of
my ship while I'm gone."
 Both Captain and Commander smiled at their usual form of
flirting.
 *When will they just give up the show and get together? *
Tom thought.
 "Yes, Captain.  She'll be in one piece when you get back."
 "Very good." Turning to Paris she said, "Is everything ready
for departure."
 "Yes ma'am.  We can leave anytime."
 "Good then let's get going before I change my mind about
leaving the ship for a week."

 The shuttle ride through the nebula was unbearable for
Tom.   Both women held an uncomfortable silence while in his
presence.  He could still sense that Janeway was disappointed with
his conduct and recent fall from grace.  Whenever she looked at
him there was a mixture of anger and disappointment.  She would
occasionally falter and engage in whatever conversation he had
begun with himself.  That only lasted for a few minutes though.
Soon she would realize what she was doing and resume her
authoritve demeanor.
 B'lanna was another problem all together.  She and the
captain would converse with each other during times but whenever
he joined the conversation,  B'lanna would suddenly end the
subject.  He had wanted this to be an excurtion where they could
just relax in each others company, but somehow all his good
intentions had blown-up in his face.
 *The road to hell is paved with good intentions,* he
thought.
 For whatever reasons, B'lanna had been pushing him away
lately.  He couldn't understand why and all he wanted was for her
to
snap out of it.
 He was pulled out of his reverie by Janeway's voice from
behind him.
 "It really is beautiful,"
 For an instant, everyone's attention was pulled to the front
window.  The nebula outside swirled in a pattern of vivid colors,
each one complimenting the one before it.  B'lanna put down the
padd she had been reading, "Have you ever seen anything like
that?"
 No one replied.  There was no way to describe the beauty
outside.  It was an exotic whirlwind of colors, one which never
seemed to end.
 Tom suddenly looked back down to his controls.  They
would soon be within range of the planet.
 "Umm, Captain, sensors say we'll be approaching the
planet
in less than an hour."
 "What!" she said.  Their original flight plan had indicated
that it would be at least two days to reach the planet and here they
had accomplished it in less than a day.
 B'lanna was soon involved in the conversation.  "Sensors
are reading not only a planet but an artificial satellite orbiting it as
well."
 "Can you pick up any life signs on the satellite?" Janeway
was now utterly perplexed yet fascinated at the same time.
 "No Captain.  It looks like whoever built it abandoned it
some time ago."
 The nebula then parted, revealing a large space station
almost the same size as Deep Space Nine.  It was covered in a
purplish, almost red exterior which resembled skin more than
metal.
As they got closer they could distinguish small indentions in the
port side and a larger tunnel  that lead somewhere inside.  *Must
lead to the shuttlebay,* Janeway thought.  Dispersed widely over
the station were large half shaped spears which protruded from to
hull.
 "Why would anyone abandon something like that," Tom
asked aloud.
 Receiving no answer he proceeded to his next question.
"Well do you want to dock Captain?"
 Janeway hesitated a little before answering.  "No Mr. Paris,
keep on our original course heading.  Our first priority is the
dilithium."  *But maybe later we can take a look around on our
way
back.*

 The planet was almost completely composed of grass.
Looking around, Janeway could only distinguish a few rock
formations on the horizon.  *Not the most interesting of places to
be.*
 She looked around at her other two officers.  They were
each on  a different side of the shuttle about forty yards from each
other.  The dilithium had turned out to be just under the surface, so
retrieving it had proven a lot easier than first anticipated.
 Right now something else was occupying the captain's
mind
though.  It was Tom Paris.
 She still didn't know how to act around Tom.  She was torn
between telling him she was sorry, that she would have done the
same thing, and  ringing his neck for pulling a stunt like that.
Those
people had not requested help and taking that shuttle put not only
himself at risk but the entire crew.  The people that lived on the
ocean planet could just have easily attacked Voyager for his
actions,  but by the grace of God they hadn't.
 Now she was at bad terms with one of her favorite
crewmen.  Not knowing what else to do, she had treated him with
the detached professionalism that she as a captain was forced to
have.
 Another thought entered her mind as she contemplated the
space station.  It offered a puzzle for her scientific mind.  Chakotay
practically had forced her on this away mission, trying to get her to
relax.
 *So much for his little plan.*  She chuckled to herself, *I
guess I really am  a workaholic.*

  Torres stole another glance at Paris.  He was covered in
dust, a light brown powder resting on his uniform and face.  His
hair still radiated like gold however, despite the soil which had
taken up residence there.
 *Damn he looks cute.*  She thought as she watched him
mutter  a few curses under his breath.
 She quickly averted her stare however when he turned to
her and called,  "Hey, 'Lanna, could you come over here for a
second."
 *Did he see me staring at him.*  Her Klingon courage
faltered slightly as she wondered what he wanted to talk about.
 "My tricorder seems to be malfunctioning.  Would you
mind
taking a look."  He asked when she reached him.
 "Let me see."  She took the machine from him and tinkered
with the parts.  After a while she became aware of his eyes staring
at her.
 "What?" she asked.
 He grinned slightly.  "Oh I was just thinking how perfectly
that dirt looks on your face."
 She blushed.  He was covered in the stuff, why hadn't she
suspected the same about herself.
 "You're one to talk.  With as much dirt that's covering you,
it only highlights your natural pig-nature."  She began wiping her
face with the back of her hand,  which only proved to rub the dirt
in
further.
 "Here, let me."  Tom took B'lanna's face in his hand and
began to gently wipe the dust off with the other one.   After a while
they both forgot what they were doing and just stared into one
another's eyes.   Sky blue met deep brown and both became lost in
the other's eyes.
 B'lanna was the first to break the silence.  "Umm I couldn't
find anything wrong with your tricorder."
 "Lanna I'm sorry that I didn't ask you first if you wanted to
come.  I just thought you could use a break from work and that we
could spend some time together."  Tom gushed out.
 B'lanna was taken slightly by surprise.  He usually wasn't
one to apologize so easily, especially when he hadn't really done
anything wrong.   He must feel really bad if he was doing so this
early.
 "Tom I guess I shouldn't have been so hard on you.  It's just
that you never think before you do something."  She relented some,
but she still wasn't ready to admit she was sorry.  Not yet anyway.
 "So you’re not mad anymore?"
 "Let's just say I'm not AS mad at you anymore.  But don't
push your luck."
 He bent his head down and joined his lips with hers.  The
kiss started simple but soon escalated into something much more.
They savored the feel of each other's mouth, driven with a desire
that had first brought them together.  The taste produced from their
dirt covered lips was salty yet sweet at the same time.  Finally the
two pulled apart, each a little unwillingly.
 "I hope I didn't push my luck too far."  Tom said.
 "No, but next time we do this we might want to be a little
cleaner."
 He laughed,  "I guess we are a bit dirty."
 "Understatement  of the year Paris."
 Heading back to the shuttle, Tom commented,  "So, I was
wondering if a certain Chief Engineer might want to help me clean
some of those hard to reach places."
 "Now you're going too far, Pig."

 Paris turned the rock over in his hand.  It was early in the
morning,  too early for most, including himself.   While the other
two slept in the shuttle, he had gotten restless and decided that a
short stroll around camp might help.  For some reason, he couldn't
sleep.   His conversation with B'lanna the day before echoed in his
mind.  At least she wasn't mad anymore.
 *Look what your night life has become, Paris,  walking
around an alien planet while you could be sleeping with two
beautiful women.*
 He let out a chuckle at his thoughts.  *Well not sleeping
'with'  but 'near' two beautiful women.*
 The early morning light flickered off the shuttle.  The sky
looked beautiful.  It was a mass of swirling reds and purples.  It
looked... it looked ...alive.
 Memories of the day before flashed through his mind.  The
space station.  The nebula.  The voices calling out.
 Wait what was he thinking.  There weren't any voices.
 *I really need some sleep.*
 He looked at the rock in his hand.  When had he picked this
up?  In fact he couldn't even remember when he had come outside.
 He studied the rock more closely.  It was onyx with
mixtures of red and violet intermingling throughout it.  As he held
it
tighter, it seemed to feel more alive.  It seemed to  pulse in his
hand.  Very slightly of course but pulsed none the less. It seemed
to
make a sound as well.
 *Running water??*  he thought as he tried to identify the
sound.
 Raising it to the sun he tried to get a better look.  A ray of
light hit it,  illuminating the stone.  A moment of surprise
overwhelmed him just before the stone pulsated one last time and
shot a spark through his hand.
 "Shit!!"  he yelped as he dropped the stone.  Cradling his
injured hand, he inspected the damage,  expecting to see charred
stump where once an appendage had been.  Instead, he could find
no damage.  Only a tingling sensation remained where once
blinding
pain had resided.
 *What the hell?*
 Confusion overwhelmed him, but it soon subsided into
drowsiness.
 *I just need to get some sleep.*  he thought as he walked
back to the shuttle.
 Behind him, the stone that he had dropped began to glow a
soft violet and then melted into the ground until there was no trace
left.

 Captain Janeway had to smile.  Tom and B'lanna had
seemed at odds when they had first left Voyager but now both
seemed to be talking amicably.
 She was still not at the best terms with Paris herself but that
didn't mean she wanted to see him and B'lanna mad with one
another.
 *They're just too cute a couple to let some petty fight break
them up.*
 True, she didn't know what had happened between the two,
but she had noticed a tension between them.
 *This time on the planet must have done them some good.*
 They had been on the planet for two days and were now
getting ready to head back to Voyager.
 "Preflight is done Captain.  We can leave anytime.''  Paris
said from behind the conn.
 "Alright Mr. Paris, take us up."

 "So Tuvok anything new to report?"
 Chakotay sat in the captain's chair.  The past couple of days
had been nothing more than complete boredom.   *Spirits, I must
miss Kathryn even more than I thought.*
 "Commander everything is running at peak efficiency." the
Vulcan replied.
 "Good."  *Damn I could use something to keep my mind
occupied.*
 As Chakotay sat there engulfed in his thoughts, Tuvok
spoke again.  "Sir it would be logical to assume that nothing of any
interest will be occurring in the next few minutes.  If you wish, the
holodeck is not occupied at this time."
 Chakotay turned to the Vulcan,  "Okay, I get your point.
Tuvok you have the bridge.  Call me the minute anything
happens."
 "Yes sir."
 *Well now I have something to take my mind off Kathryn.*
Chakotay stepped into the turbolift.  *I could kill myself for
insisting she go on that away mission.  If that nebula didn't
interfere with communication I'd have her on comm once every
hour.*
 His face suddenly took on a concerned expression.  *What
if she got in trouble out there.  There'd be no way to contact us.*
 He pushed those thoughts aside.  *No I'm just being
overprotective.  Nothing's going to happen.*
 But still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that somehow
things wouldn't be the same the next time they saw the Delta Flyer.

 "Well, Captain, this will be the last chance we have to
explore that station."
 Tom Paris was behind the conn as usual but Captain
Janeway barely heard his remark.  She was staring at the view
screen ahead with undivided attention.  Before them was the space
station they had encountered earlier.  It stood like a puzzle that she
longed to solve.   *Why would someone ever abandon something
as
magnificent as that?*
 "Captain?''
 "Oh, could you repeat what you just said Mr. Paris."
 "I asked if you wanted to explore the station before we
leave."
 Janeway looked like a child who new better than to do
something but was just too tempted.  She really shouldn't, after all
it
wasn't in their original flight plan.  But an opportunity like this.  It
was just too good to pass.
 "B'lanna, do a sensor sweep for any life-forms."
 Torres entered a few commands into her console.  "I'm still
not picking up anything."
 "Try hailing them."   Janeway had to be sure no one was
aboard that station before she intruded.
 "There's no response."
 Janeway stared at the screen.  This technically went against
the prime directive but if there weren't any life-forms aboard...
 "Captain, I think I've found  an opening to their shuttlebay."
Tom said from the helm.  All knew that with a nebula such as this
that transporters were out of the question.  One slight change in the
environment and a person's particles could be spread across the
sector.
 Janeway nodded to Paris's comment.  She wanted more
than
anything to take a look at that station,  but it was a security risk
even without any natives aboard.
 B'lanna saw her apprehension and spoke up.  "By all the
sensors have picked up, this place has been abandoned for quite a
while.  I'm also picking up some technology far more advanced
than our own.  If we don't go we'll be throwing away the chance of
a lifetime."
 Tom joined his mate in their persuasion.  "Captain I can get
us in there."
 Janeway's resolution fell through.  *Oh what the hell.*
 "Take us in Mr. Paris."

 "Naomi, I'm sure Tom will be back as soon as he can."
 Harry was stuck baby-sitting Naomi Wildman while Tom
was gone.  Usually Paris would keep her one night a week, but due
to his absence Harry had volunteered to take his place.
 "I just want him to hurry up and come back.  I can't wait to
see my surprise."
 The little girl had been rattling about her 'surprise' ever
since
the away team left.   Harry as well as quite a few others that had
been around Naomi in the past few days had all agreed that once
Paris returned they would each take their turn in personally 'killing'
him.  Even Sam had agreed that she would definitely have a few
words to say to him.
 "Look, Naomi they'll be back as soon as possible but there
are still a few more days before
they're scheduled to return."
 "I assume Miss Wildman is referring to Captain Janeway's
away team."
 Seven  entered the room with a Padd and handed it to Harry
before he had time for a greeting.
 ''Seven what's this?"  Harry asked.
 "Commander Chakotay sent me to give them to you.  I did
not inquire as to what they were."
 "Hello Seven," Naomi said.  She and the ex-borg now got
along rather well despite her first assumptions about Seven.
 "Miss Wildman." Seven stated matter-of-factly then turning
to Harry, "If there is nothing else I will be leaving now."
 "Yeah, sure Seven."  Harry was so wrapped up in the Padd
that he didn't notice Seven leave untill
he heard the swish of the door behind her.
 "What is it Harry?" Naomi asked referring to the Padd.
 "Oh nothing just a list of subroutines that the Commander
wants me to run.  He must really miss the captain if he's making us
recheck all this."  Harry said and then tossed the Padd onto the
table.  This work would take him at least two full  days to run.  *I
guess I'll have to cancel that date with Megan Delany,* he thought
bitterly.  *Lord, two days of  nothing  but the dullest work in the
universe.*
 He leaned back in his seat.  This was going to be Hell.

 Tom Paris guided the Delta Flyer into one of the space
station's docks with an expert grace.   There was a winding tunnel
that he believed must lead into the shuttle bay.  After a few more
seconds or so his assumptions proved correct.  Around them the
tunnel expanded into a large open room made of the same material
as the outer hull of the station.  *It looks like its alive.*  he
thought.
 Resting the Flyer on the ground, Tom looked to B'lanna.
"Okay, I got us in.  So what do we do now?"
 B'lanna just replied, "We get out."
 "Excuse me."  Janeway had been prepared for
environmental suits and B'lanna's comment caught her by surprise.
 "Sensors say that the outside environment is the same as in
here.  There must be some kind of forcefield that we passed
through which keeps the radiation out of here."
 "Well let's go then."  Paris stood up and walked to the back
of the shuttle and opened the hatch.
 There wasn't even a change in temperature as the air from
outside mingle with that within the shuttle.
 "It seems the sensors were right."  Janeway stated.
 "Well we came here to look around so let's go."
 "Hold on Helmboy," Torres said.  "You might want to bring
along a tricorder."
 Tom took the proffered tricorder from B'lanna.
 "Well then,'' said Janeway, "let's make the best of our time
here."
 They stepped out of the shuttle and began their exploration.
All were too preoccupied however to notice the forcefield flicker
in
the background and solidify into an invisible wall.

 "So can anyone find a door?"
 They had been exploring the rather large shuttlebay and
had
yet to find a door.  B'lanna was beginning to get pissed.  *Shit,
what are we supposed to do if we can't find a way in.*
 She looked around.  Janeway was running a tricorder over
the walls, trying to discover what they were composed of.  On the
other hand, Tom was busy studying one section of wall that she
and
Janeway had already gone over.  And he wasn't using his tricorder.
Puzzled, she walked over to him.
 "See something interesting." she asked.
 "Huh, oh yeah.  I was just looking at this section.  It seems
different somehow."  He could have sworn he had heard something
from near there.  *You're just being paranoid,* he told himself.
But
still, something seemed to draw him over here, he just couldn't put
his finger on it
 B'lanna watched his face turn to inner contemplation.
*What is he thinking.*
 She was about to voice her thoughts when he leaned a hand
against one of the panels.  It rippled at his touch and the wall
began
to open upon itself, like it was made of water instead of metal.
 "What did you do?" she asked, knowing full and well that
he
probably didn't know anymore than she.
 "I just touched the wall and it opened."  Instead of a wall
there was now an arched opening that led into what looked like a
hallway.
 Janeway had come over to where her two officers stood.
"Well Mr. Paris it appears you've found a way inside."
 Tom stood there dumbfounded.  Why had he pressed that
panel?  He hadn't been aware he'd been doing anything.  And
further more, why did his hand feel like he had just reached into
the
warp-core?  He looked at his hand.  *Everything looks fine.
Maybe
I'm just going crazy.*
 Realizing that they were waiting on his explantion, he
fumbled for something to say, "Well you know me, I always could
find a way in where I didn't belong."
 Janeway stared at the doorway in front of her,  "Well, there
seems no point in remaining here."
 She and B'lanna walked through the doorway.  Paris stood
behind for a few minutes longer.  Somehow he had been
overwhelmed by this feeling that they didn't belong here.  That
they
should leave.
 *Damnit Paris, you're going crazy.*
 He took one more look at his hand and followed the others
inside.

 "This technology is amazing."
 B'lanna held the tricorder up to the wall.  They had gone
through two decks of the complex already and found enough
information to keep Seven and Harry busy for a month.
 Tom looked at B'lanna.  She was in her element.  Every
time they would come upon something new, which was just about
every other second, the light in her eyes would just grow brighter
and brighter.
He had to admit, she hadn't been this happy in a long time.
 Janeway shared the engineer's enthusiasm as well.  *If
we're
lucky, we might actually find something that can help get us
home.*
 Tom should have been thrilled as well.  Usually alien
technology fascinated him.  But this... There was something
about this that put him on edge.  If only he could put his finger on
it.
 "This panel seems to be some sort of directory," Tom said
as he looked at the screen in front of him.  They had already
distinguished what would, on a Starfleet vessel, be considered a
view screen.  Here it was more like a liquid pool resting on the
wall.  By touching the screen, the liquid would restructure itself
into different shapes and dimensions.  Right now he was looking at
a three dimensional liquid sculpture of the different decks on the
station.
 Hearing Paris's comment, Janeway stepped over to where
he was standing.  "Can you figure out where we are?"
 "Hold on a second."  Paris touched the clear liquid and a
few
seconds later it began to glow in one of the middle decks.  "I'd
guess that glowing dot indicates where we are."
 Janeway smiled.  He had been quite helpful and seemed to
catch on to this technology extremely fast.  In fact, not only had
he figured out how to operate the viewscreens but he had also
learned how to operate the doors.  *If you could call them that,*
Janeway thought.
 B'lanna stood at Paris's side as well.  "I wonder where
engineering is?"  Throughout the whole expedition she had made
little comments about finding her place of work.
 Tom smiled,  "Don't worry Lieutenant, I'm sure no one
would build a ship without an engineering.  After all they wouldn't
want you to hunt them down and bug the Hell out of them, too."
 Torres bit her lip.  She was about to make a comeback
when Paris beat her to it.
 "It looks like its located in the middle here," he touched the
screen where he had indicated and the area enlarged  to show a
formation of several large moving objects which somewhat
resembled the warp-core on Voyager.
 "Yes look at those structures there.  They resemble warp
nacelles.  If we go two more floors down we should be able to find
it."  B'lanna practically plowed over the captain on her way to
engineering.
 "Guess we shouldn't get in her way."  Paris mumbled.
 The others followed after her.  They had already discovered
that the turbolifts here were quite similar to those on Voyager so
there had been no problem in operating them.
 *It just seems too easy,* Janeway thought.   But no, she
quickly chided herself.  Had she rather still be stuck at stage one?
*Yes,* she answered herself.  *I'd feel a lot better if I was.*
 
 B'lanna was still intoxicated with all that was going on
around her.  How did they get this lucky?
Who would ever leave something like this behind?
 They were in an engineer's dreamworld.  The surrounding
engines were constructed of the most amazing elements Torres had
ever seen in her life.  They weren't even metal, they were the same
liquid that had been used in the viewscreens.  Her tricorder was
overloading; it had never found materials with this type of
composition before.
 *It's liquid, yet by these readings it's practically
indestructable.*
 Janeway was wrapped up in the same thoughts as Torres.
*How is this possible?*
 B'lanna finally broke the silence, "If we can adapt this
technology to Voyager the engines could run for decades on
what it takes us to run for a week now."
 "Get as much information as you can.  If we..."  Janeway
trailed on in her speech but Paris didn't hear a word more.  All he
could hear was the shrill sound coming from behind them.  It
sounded like...like running water but not like it at all.  He was still
puzzling over this when Janeway shook his arm roughly, pulling
him out of his reverie.
 "Mr. Paris... Mr. Paris,''
 "Huh,"  was his only response.  The noise he had been
listening to was slowly fading.  *What the
Hell was that anyway?*
 "Ensign, is something wrong?"  Janeway was giving him
her
'mother hen' look.  He had been staring at the door for almost five
minutes before she had tried to get his attention.  But what really
concerned her was that he had not responded  to her calling his
name.  The only thing that pulled him out of his trance was her
shaking his arm as hard as she could.
 "No nothing, I just heard something that's all."  He diverted
his attention back towards the door.  *Why didn't I tell her the
truth?*  The truth was that he had a growing fear that kept building
up the longer they stayed  here.  It was like something was trying
to
warn him, yet trying to make him stay as well.
 "I didn't hear anything Captain" B'lanna said.  She was
beginning to worry about Tom as well.  Instead of voicing her
thoughts, she ran her tricorder in the direction of Tom's gaze.  "I'm
not picking up anything.  Maybe it was just your imagination."
 "Yeah," he muttered.
 "At any rate, I think it's about time we leave here.  B'lanna
are you done."  The captain's gaze never left Tom as she said this.
*Damn, if only he didn't keep that mask on.  Maybe then I could
tell
what's wrong.*  From what she could read from his face, he wasn't
making this up.  *Something's wrong and I don't intend to hang
around and find that something.*
 "Yes.  I'm done here."
 "Alright let's get moving then."  Janeway took the lead,
cautiously looking down the hall to make sure nothing was there.
 Once Janeway was out of earshot, B'lanna approached
Paris.  "You mind telling me what that was all about."
 "Oh nothing.  I didn't really sleep well last night.  I guess
it's
catching up with me."
 Torres let it go.  It was clear that he wasn't going to say
anything.  She would just have to interrogate him later.
 
*
 
 *This has to be the most boring sector to date.*
 Takma flicked the corner of her console with her
forefinger.
Her husband had sent her here to be out of his way for a while.
*That basturd will  think twice about getting rid of me next time.
I'll string him up by his intestines and take his place in office.*
 Her onyx hair fell to her shoulders as she pulled the
barrette
out.  She resembled a human in most respects except for the eyes.
Her eyebrows were covered with small spikes and the pupils of her
eyes mixed with her irises making it impossible to distinguish
between the two.
 She was a Parvanian, a species indigenous to the Delta
Quadrant, as was the rest aboard her ship.  Her ship, that was a
laugh.  She had all the potential to be a great leader among her
people, bitter ruthlessness mixed with creative genius.  She had
already perfected the art of torture, a skill that almost all
government officials were required to have.  If only something
could be done about that husband of hers, then she would be
Pretor.  Once she got that office she would have rule over the
entire
Empire.
 *Hundreds of lightyears worth of space all mine.*
 Of course all that space had been 'attained' from the various
species that used to inhabit them.  But that was where the
concentration camps came in.  If one wasn't a completely loyal
Parvanian or a useful alien then they could consider themselves a
permanent resident in one of the Imperial Camps,  and very few
lived long in them.
 The Borg assimilated to reproduce and extend their
knowledge to make themselves better.  But the Empire conquered
others for money and other useful 'items'.  Usually these items
included weapons, machinery, and any other technology that
could be useful.
 A crewmember walked in, interrupting Takma's thoughts.
"Excuse me my lady, but we will be approaching the nebula
shortly."
 "Very well, I hope this will be a bit more interesting than
the
last five."
 He nodded and left.
 *Could this possibly be more boring?!*  She flicked on her
console.  The nebula they were approaching was slightly different
than others she had seen before.  It's swirling colors prevented any
communication from penetrating its layers however their sensors
could pick up traces of dilithium on the planet below.   They had
also picked up a ship outside the nebula.  It was unlike any they
had
ever seen.
Even the letters on its hull provided no clue to its name.
 Voyager.
 What kind of language was that anyway.  Oh well they
would soon take the ship and its crew.  An Imperial vessel could
beat any other despite how well it was built.  The fact that her ship
had a cloaking mechanism boosted her ego as well.
 But this still didn't relieve her boredom.   *Damnit, Portus,
you'll regret the day you married me.
No husband puts his wife through this kind of torture.*
 She laughed.   *Well maybe I can come up with a bit of
torture of my own.*

             *

 B'lanna studied her tricorder readouts for a third time.
They
were walking down the corridor when she suddenly came to a
conclusion.
 "By Kahless," she muttered.
 Janeway turned a confused look to her engineer.
 "By these readouts," B'lanna said, "It looks like this station
is what's creating this nebula."
 "Are you sure?"  Janeway couldn't believe what she was
hearing.  No nebula could be created by just a space station.
 Torres nodded,  "It looks like part of its defense
mechanism.
I don't know how it does it but if we could adapt this to Voyager
there's no telling what we could be capable..."
 B'lanna never finished that sentence.  Had she noticed the
odd expression cross Tom's face, she might have been prepared for
what was to come.  But the end result would still have been the
same.
 Before she could finish her thought, an ear-piercing  howl
erupted from the walls and the next thing she felt was the sensation
of ice flooding through her body.   Her last coherent thought was
that of Tom taking her in his arms and running.  Then she
succumbed to darkness.

 Tom had been hearing the trickling of water in his ears ever
since they had left engineering.  He had tried to push it from his
mind but it was still there none the less.
 As he struggled to pay attention to what Lanna was saying,
the sound overwhelmed him, pushing his senses into overdrive.
 **Danger!**  something echoed in his mind.
 He was about to warn the others when a howl errupted
from the walls.  He watched helplessly as  a tentacle shot out of the
wall.  It turned into a phaser beam when it hit B'lanna and melted
into her.
 She crumpled to the floor and before he knew what was
happening, he had her in his arms and was carrying her away as
fast
as he could run.

 Janeway followed Paris as he carried B'lanna away.
 *What the Hell was that,* she thought.
 Paris darted through an open doorway.  He clutched
B'lanna
to him as if she would disappear if he relinquished his tight hold.
 *I just hope you know where you're going Tom.*

 Paris was barely aware of where he was going until he had
reached his destination.  Something was driving him to come this
way and he wasn't about to ignore it.
 There was no sound behind them, only the sound of
trickling water,  but by now he was used to that.  He stopped inside
the room he had entered,  the doorway behind him closing after
Janeway had come through as well.
 Gently resting B'lanna on the ground, he focused all
attention on her.
 *I guess that time I spent helping Doc might actually come
in useful.*
 Janeway watched Tom begin to examine B'lanna.  He
probably wasn't even aware that she was behind him.
 *What happened?*  she thought.  *What the hell happened
back there?*
 B'lanna's pulse was erratic,  she had what looked like a
concussion, and she was beginning to get a fever.  But she was still
alive.  That's all Tom kept his mind focused on.
 *She's alive.  We'll get her back to Voyager.  She'll be fine.
We just have to get her back to Voyager.*
 But another voice entered his mind.  **You cannot leave
here.  She has been poisoned, but it is only temporary.**
 "What did you say Mr. Paris?"
 Tom looked up at her dumbfoundedly.  He wasn't even sure
where that had come from.  Hell, he didn't even realize he had said
anything.
 "How do you know it's only temporary?"  Janeway had
watched the same expression fall over Tom's face as it had in
engineering.  *WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!*
 A voice from ahead of them answered her question.  "Your
companion was attacked by one of the security droids of this
system.  The beam that shot her was not set at a high enough level
to cause permanent damage."
 Paris and Janeway looked towards the voice.  A viewscreen
ahead of them pulsated with every word that was said.
 Janeway stared at the 'voice'. *Looks like this place wasn't
as abandoned as we thought.*
 

      *

 Kail let his eyesight wander to Takma.  She was sitting in
what would normally be his seat, but he wasn't yet stupid enough
to
piss off a woman such as her.
 *She might look beautiful but she would rip my throat out
as soon as look at me.*
 They were on the bridge of the 'Bonthos', one of the
Empire's deep space vessels.  He silently cursed at how he had
been
disgraced by  Portus  to be placed as commanding officer of a ship
such as this.
 *I am a general,  I should not be placed on an 'exploration'
mission.  I should be leading an attack on those Resistance pests
instead of baby-sitting the Pretor's wife.*
 The Resistance was something he regarded with contempt.
They were a bunch of rebel outlaws who actually thought they
could bring down the Empire.  Soon enough they would be wiped
out though and he was the man who was going to do it.
 *Soon,* he thought, *I'll be the one with all the glory and
the Pretor won't be so quick to snub me off.*
 "We're approaching the nebula,"  the helmsman said.  "We
should be within range of the alien vessel in half an hour."
 "Keep us cloaked," Takma ordered.
 Kail took another look at Takma.  She was highly
intelligent
and resourceful.  With the right person behind her, she would
make
an excellent leader.  Perhaps it was time that the Empire get a new
Pretor.

    *

 Janeway stared at the 'voice' and was finally able to find her
voice.  "Who are you?"
 It was a simple question, she had much more she wanted to
know, but at this  point her mouth would only form those three
words.
 "I run this facility,'' it replied.  The 'it' was little more than
ripples in the wall.  "I am referred to as the 'Neryem'."
 Janeway was finally getting her senses back,  and with
these
senses came anger as well.  "Why did you attack my lieutenant.
We
meant you no harm.  All our sensors showed that this was an
abandoned station!"
 Neryem seemed to contemplate her outburst before
responding.  "I regret that your companion was injured,  but she
will revive shortly.  I was not the one responsible for her attack
though."
 "Not responsible!  You just said that you ran this place."
 Janeway was mad.  Hell she was beyond mad, she was
damn
furious.  *We tried hailing, sensors,  they didn't respond.  Now we
come and they attack us without warning.*
 "The security system that was activated is not under my
control.  I have lost control to many of the primary and secondary
systems,  one of which being security."  All the words came out in
a
monotone
voice.  The voice sounded much different than that of Voyager's
computer.  It seemed to have a deeper, more mechanical edge
added to the masculine voice.
 "I can help you escape."
 Janeway let the words sink in for a second.  "How do we
get out of here if those 'security' features are online."
 B'lanna stirred a bit.  Paris, who had been silent throughout
the entire exchange, suddenly came back to life.
 "Lanna," he said while stroking her hair. "Lanna, how do
you feel?"
 "What happened?"  It was barely an audible whisper but to
Paris it might as well have been a shout.
 "You got shot, I think.'' He still wasn't sure what in the hell
to call it.
 "You must leave before the droids are able to penetrate the
defenses in this room."  Neryem stated.
 Janeway thought for a moment.  "Tom, can she be moved."
 Tom looked up.  He was so used to being called Mr. Paris
that he took a few moments to realize that it was the captain who
had called him.  "She can't walk but I can carry her to the shuttle
without any harm."
 "Okay then.  Neryem, can you get us out of here."
 "I can create a path for you to follow.  It should lead you to
your shuttle."
 "Alright Tom, get B'lanna and let's get out of here."
 A gap in the wall began to form to the left of them.  Then
through that several others appeared until there was a tunnel
leading through most of the rooms on that floor.
 "Follow this path until you reach the shuttle.  I will try to
keep the droids occupied."
 Janeway looked a bit relieved.  "Thank you."
 Tom held B'lanna cradled in his arms.  She was still very
groggy but soon they would be back on Voyager and everything
would be fine.
 As they left, following the trail cut for them through the
walls, they were unable to hear the thoughts of the station's
computer, Neryem.  If they had, then they would have realized that
there was a lot more they had to worry about than the droids from
the station's security.

 Paris ran towards the shuttle.  B'lanna only muttered a few
inaudible comments through their journey.  But as for Paris,  the
thoughts running through his mind were a blur.  He could still hear
the faint sound of running water, but he pushed it to the back of his
mind.
 So far they had encountered no more of the droids that had
attacked B'lanna.  In fact there hadn't even been a droid.  That shot
had come from the wall.
 *But why would Neryem lie?  What does he have to gain
from it?*
 It didn't matter anyway.  The shuttle was so close now.
Soon they would be gone and back home.But the thought still
tickled the back of his mind.  *Things are never what they appear.*
 But here they were.  The shuttle was just in front of them.
 *Only a little further*.
 But then he stopped.  Janeway looked at him with
confusion.  They were so close, why had he stopped?
 He didn't know why either.  But something told him not to
go any further.  Janeway took another few steps toward the shuttle
and BAM.
 Instead of reaching the shuttle as anticipated, she lay
sprawled out on the floor.  A forcefield rippled through the air.  A
forcefield that blocked their only way out.

 Harry continued his work that the commander had given
him.
 *This has to be the most boring shit in the world.*
 He entered a few more commands onto his console.  The
commander sat in his chair at the front of the bridge.
 Chakotay seemed on edge.  It had been only two days since
the away team had left and  Voyager
sat silently outside the nebula.  Evertything was quiet.  But
something inside him kept telling him that something was wrong.
 He remembered an old Earth saying:  It is always calmest
before the storm.
 The problem was there was nothing to suggest that a storm
would even occur.  But that was what the saying meant.  Never let
your guard down just because something looks safe.
 He had consulted his spirit guide, but all she had told him
was a bunch of riddles,  never actually giving away information.
 *Kathryn I wish I could just get this feeling to go away.  I'll
feel a lot better when you're back here.*  His thoughts were
directed to someone whom he knew couldn't hear him.  However
he would never have guessed that she was thinking the exact same
thing at that moment.

 *I just wish we were back on Voager,* Janeway thought.
 She had picked herself up off the floor and now stared
despairingly at the forcefield before her.They were so close.  Just a
few more feet and...
 Her thoughts trailed off as a noise from behind her caught
her attention.  Paris heard it too and they both turned around to see
what could only be surmised as the 'droids' that Neryem had
referred to earlier.
 *Rounded up for the masacre.*  Paris thought bitterly.
 There looked to be about ten of them.  They were each at
least a foot taller than Paris and twice as wide.
 *They resemble the borg.*  Paris was right in his analysis.
The only difference was that they appeared to be an entirely
artificial life-form.  There was no indication that they had once
been
people who had been assimilated.
 Janeway gulped.  She gripped the phaser in her right hand.
At least they had thought to bring this one along.  If they were
going to go down like this they were going to go down fighting.
 Tom gripped B'lanna closer to his chest.  She had fallen
unconscious again.  It was a good thing too.  He didn't want her to
have to see this.
 The silvery water sound in the back of his mind began to
grow louder.  It now sounded more like a waterfall.  *Something's
about to happen,* he thought.
 The droids were ready to attack.  They were well into
position.  Each arm came up simultaneously,  a glowing phaser at
the end of each.  Then they fired.

 Neryem silently watched the scene before his sensors.
These aliens had been very gullible.  He could have just killed
them
when they first entered the facility,  but that would have been too
easy for a computer of his capability.
 Actually the truth was that something else prevented him
from doing his will.  'She' had been the virus in his database that
haunted him for eternity.  But that was of little matter.  'She' would
be gone very soon.  Her last effort to restore herself had failed and
now her program would be deleted.
 But first the aliens would be taken care of.  Then he would
be free from her prison.  And that was what he wanted most.
 
 Janeway never had time to fire her phaser.  The droids had
beaten her to it.
 She waited for the blast.  A second went by, another second
passed.  She realized that her eyes were shut and quickly reopened
them.
 On the ground lay the droids,  each one had a phaser burn
through its chest.
 *They shot each other?*
 "Are you alright?''
 Janeway turned around to find the source of the voice.  It
was a silvery feminine voice.  It sounded almost like...running
water.
 
 Paris heard the voice as well.  Unlike Janeway though the
voice reverberated inside his head.
 "Who are you?" he asked.
 The answer surprised him little,  since he had somehow
known all along what 'she' would say.  "I
am the one who is trying to save your lives."
 Torres stirred a bit and groggily began to awaken.  "What
the hell.."
 Janeway was relieved to see her engineer looking a little
better but that still didn't ease her anger,
"We were just told by someone called Neryem that he was trying
to
help us.  How do we know that you didn't just send those droids?
And how do we know that you won't try to kill us if you get the
chance."
 "Please you must leave now.  I will explain the rest later
but
I cannot hold off the other droids.  They will be coming soon.  You
must trust me."
 "How can you expect..''
 Janeway was cut off by Tom,  "Captain we can trust her."
 She looked at him in her most bewildered way.  But instead
he walked away and over the droids, back into the jaws of death
from which they had just come.

 B'lanna looked around.  Everything seemed to be spinning
so fast.  Her head pounded and she could barely move without pain
surging through her body.
 But she was lucid enough to know that they had stopped.
 Janeway had followed Paris back into the station.  At first
she had begun to demand an explanation but after ten or twelve
attempts, it became clear that Tom wasn't about to stop.  She was
getting  to the point where she had even considered stunning him
with her phaser  and dragging them both back to the shuttle.  But
then her thoughts were cut short as he stopped dead in his tracks.
 They were in front of a large screen.  Water began to ripple
through it and, as had Neryem, it began to speak.  "Thank you for
trusting me."
 "I don't trust you just yet, but I also don't see any other
options."  Janeway put bluntly.  "Now could you mind telling us
just what the Hell is going on here."
 "I am sorry for what has happened.  The one you spoke to,
Neryem, wants you dead."
 "Why would he want to kill us.  We don't even know what
'he' is."
 "He is the other  who runs this facility along with me.  His
main features were to run security and many of the secondary
systems.  However, some years ago, a virus was unleashed into his
databanks and now he wishes to take control of this entire facility
by destroying me."
 Janeway was furious now.  "That still doesn't explain why
he wants us dead."
 "He has slowly begun to take control of most of my
systems.   I am no longer able to stop him.  But an outsider could
be able to.  He sees you as a threat and will not stop until you are
dead."
 "Then why didn't he just kill us when he had the chance?"
 "I still hold some control over parts of his systems.  He
attempted to kill your companion but I was able to bring down the
power  level of the shot.  However I cannot hold my control over
him for long.  That is why he sent you to shuttlebay.  You would
be
trapped and it would give him enough time for me to lose my
control."
 Paris spoke up.  "Can we get out of here?"
 "Yes, but you must first deactivate the power cupplings that
run to shuttlebay."
 "So how do we do that?"
 "They run directly below this room, however, I am unable
to deactivate them.  If someone was to plant an explosive on that
level then all forcefields in or around shuttlebay would be
disabled."
 Paris looked to Janeway.  She could see in his eyes what he
was about to do.  Rather than argue with him, she just said, "Can
you get out of there before it blows?"
 "Yes.''  He turned to B'lanna.  "Keep an eye on her."
 Janeway nodded and handed him her only phaser.  He
gently
kissed B'lanna on her forehead.  She had fallen unconscious again.
 "So, how do I get down there?" he asked.
 "You must crawl through the ducts behind this console.  It
will lead you to your destination."
 "Okay thanks, umm, sorry I didn't catch your name."
 "I am called Sorrores.''
 "Okay Sorrores."  Paris removed the console and exposed
the duct below.  It would be a tight fit but he could probably make
it.  *Damn,  I would have to be claustrophobic.*
 He took one last look at Janeway and B'lanna and then
headed down the hole.

 Paris crawled through the ducts.  Curses hung from his lips
through his entire trip.  Finally after what seemed like decades, the
light at the end of the tunnel began to shine, so to say, and he was
standing fully erect and inside the home of the power cupplings.
 He looked around.
 **Go to your left.**  A voice said.
 He obeyed and was standing in front of a series of  large
tubes that ran through the walls and united into one large cylinder.
 "I take it this is it."
 Paris took the phaser in his hand and began to set it to
overload.  If he installed an irregularity within it then an explosion
would occur within a few minutes.
 *There, done.*  He thought.  *And that will give me two
minutes to get out of here before it detonates.*
 He placed the phaser securely inside a nook between two of
the tubes.  He turned to leave when the voice of  Sorores exploded
inside his head.
 **Get down!**
 He hit the floor just before a shot was fired, missing his
head by mere centimeters.   He hid behind a console as more shots
rang out around him.  There was no where he could go.  If he ran
he would be shot.  If he stayed here he would he killed in the
explosion.
 He sat there a few more seconds as he tried to find another
alternative.
 *Oh to hell with it! *  He got up and ran.  Perhaps his usual
luck would see him through this.  Then another thought occurred.
*What luck?*

 Torres felt like she had been ripped apart.  Her head was
splitting in two, but she was finally able to think straight.  She
looked around.  Janeway was there, but she couldn't see Tom.
 "Where's Tom?" she asked weakly.
 Janeway was relieved to hear her engineer speaking again.
"Tom will be back shortly.  He had to deactivate the power
cupplings so that we can get to the shuttle."
 Janeway knew that the young woman was thoroughly
confused.  The captain was even confused and she had been awake
during the whole thing.
 B'lanna didn't state her confusion.  She didn't have the
energy.  Instead she just asked.  "Is it dangerous?''
 The captain's heart was about to break.  There was no
telling how much pain Torres was in but she still put her mate's
safety above her own.  "He knows what he is doing."

 Paris didn't know what he was doing.  Getting a better look
at his surroundings, he could now see that there were four droids to
his right.  Their shots should have blocked his way to the ducts but
he paid them no mind.  He felt an explosion of pain in his right
arm.
Then another hit him in his side.  Pushing the pain away as best he
could,   he  continued his run to the ducts.  It was only a few feet
away.
 A piercing whistle cut through everything else around him.
He took a glance behind him and saw the source of it.  One of the
tubes had been hit by the droids and looked like it was about to
overload.
 'About to'  was thinking optimistically.  The tube burst open
in a brilliance of yellow light.  It engulfed the droids.  Paris
watched
as they began to disintegrate before his eyes.  Another tube looked
like it was about to overload as well.  Then another and another.
 *Looks like we wasted a phaser for nothing.*
 He turned his thoughts back to getting through the ducts.
The hole seemed a lot tighter than before and without the full use
of
his right arm, it seemed almost impossible to get through.
 Another tube exploded,  illuminating the room in a brilliant
yellow light.  As Paris continued to struggle through the hole, the
'wasted'  phaser began to overload.  There were only a few more
seconds until the entire floor would be destroyed.
 Those seconds flew by in no time, because soon the phaser
blew-up,  sending an explosion throughout the entire level.  All
that
was left was a cloud of smoke and a few charred remnants of what
had once been.

 Janeway heard the explosion.  In fact she not only heard it,
she felt it too.
 B'lanna looked up in horror.  *Was Tom down there?*
 The same thought ran through Janeway's mind.  "I'm sure
he
wasn't there when it blew." she said.  *But then where would he
be?*
 At that moment, a body began to struggle through the small
opening in the console.   Janeway got up to help a bleeding Tom
Paris squeeze through the duct.  After a few minutes he was free
and the captain and B'lanna stared at him in silent horror.
 His right arm hung at side limply.  It was covered in blood
from the shoulder to elbow.  His side looked no better.  The
uniform was burned off in several places,  exposing torn flesh and
muscle.
 "Tom!"  B'lanna cried out.
 Paris went to her.  "Don't worry.  I look a lot worse than I
am."
 She was still in shock at his appearance.  Janeway took up
the conversation.  "How'd you get out of there before it blew?"
 He looked a little embarrassed.  "Actually I didn't.  I was
only half-way up when it exploded and the force of it sort of sent
me up the rest of the way."
 B'lanna looked a little shaken when she heard this.
Janeway
saw this and changed the topic.  "I think we should leave now.  We
need to get you two back to sickbay."  She turned to Sorores.  "Is
the forcefied down."
 "Yes, but you must hurry.  Neryem is neutralized for now,
however he will come back online soon."
 Tom picked up B'lanna.  She protested at this but he would
have none of it.  "You're in no shape to carry me Paris." she said.
 "And you're in no shape to walk." he pointed out.
 He place most of her weight on his left side to avoid
injuring
his right arm any further.
 "Come on let's just leave." he said.
 Neither of the other two women protested.  They were both
too exhausted.
 "Thank you, Sorrores."  Janeway said before she left.
 The three were on their way back to shuttlebay so no one
heard the computer's whispered reply.  "I just hope I've done
enough."

 Voyager stood outside the nebula.  Danger ran rampant
around them, unknown to any on the ship.  As far as most were
concerned the only danger was dying of boredom.
 Harry looked up at the viewscreen.  The nebula was
beautiful.  He envied  the away team for being able to enjoy a
relief
from the boredom on the ship.
 A beeping pulled him out of his reverie.  He looked down
at
his console.
 *These readings can't be right.*  he thought.
 Chakotay approached him,  "Is something wrong Harry."
 "Umm sir, it looks like the nebula is reforming."
 "What do you mean 'reforming'." Chakotay had no idea
what the ensign was talking about, but by the expression on his
face, it was nothing good.
 "Commander, these readouts show that  the nebula's
reforming at a molecular level,"  he paused then looked up again.
"It's not only changing, but it's expanding as well."
 "Will this affect the away team?''  He was beginning to get
worried now.
 "By sensors, it looks like the planet will be destroyed."
 Both men turned pale.  The away team weren't scheduled to
be back for another two days.
 "How long until then?"
 "Between ten and twenty minutes." Harry was surprised he
could even talk, the lump in his throat was so big.
 Harry might as well have punched Chakotay, he was so
surprised.
 Tuvok spoke up for the first time.  "Due to the nebula's new
molecular form, are we now able to penetrate it with a
communication signal?"
 Harry's fingers flew over the console.  His eyes lit up.
"Yes,
since it's expanding, it's no longer as dense.  We should even be
able to do a scan of the area to find out where they are."
 "Can we transport them."  Chakotay asked.
 "No I don't think so."
 Chakotay silently cursed.  "Hail them then.  I want them on
their way back here as soon as possible."
 After a few minutes Harry replied, "Sir I can't find them."
 "What do you mean you can't find them."
 "They aren't on the planet and I can't pick up a signal from
the Delta Flyer."
 "Well keep trying."  All Chakotay's worst suspisions had
come  true.
 He gave a silent prayer.  *Spirits, let them be alright.*

 Paris was the first one to see the shuttle.   *I've never seen a
more glorious sight,* he thought.
 They approached it.  Thankful to find the forcefield was
down, they entered the shuttle.
 Tom lay B'lanna down on  one of the beds in the back of
the
shuttle and went to the front to do the preflight.
 "Okay Mr. Paris, can you get us out of here?"  Janeway
asked.  It was more a question of whether he was physically able to
or not.
 "Sure we'll be out in..."  He paused.  His face had gone
white.
 "Mr. Paris what is it."
 "It's the nebula captain.  Sensors show that its molecular
form is rebuilding.  If we go out in it, then it will destroy the
shuttle."
 "Can you readjust the shields?'
 "They can be readjusted Captain, but it'll only buy us a few
minutes.   If this thing doesn't stop then it'll destroy everything
within this sector."
 Janeway was stunned, but like the captain she was, quickly
regained herself.  "And let me guess, no damage to the station."
 "No, everything in this sector but the station will be gone."
 "Is there a way to stop it?"  Janeway asked.  There were
two other M-Class planets in this sector.  Billions of lifeforms
would die if this happened.
 Instead of an answer from Paris,  Sorores came over the
comm link.  "Neryem has gained control of the weapons array.
There is no way for me to stop him."
 Janeway sighed.  It seemed that they had been puppets for
this station since the moment they arrived.  "There has to be a way
to stop him."
 "The only way is to destroy the station itself."
 Her words hung in the air between the captain and ensign.
They could guess what she would say next.
 "And the only way to destroy this station is manually."
Sorrores finished.
 Janeway gulped.  "Okay so tell me how to do it."
 Tom stared at Janeway.
 "I can lead you through to the core of this facility.  I will
give further instructions as you go along."
 Janeway nodded.  "Okay."
 Paris broke in.  "Captain you can't do this!"
 "Mr. Paris I have no choice.  You will meet Voyager and
get them clear,  just in case I don't succeed."
 "But Captain."
 "That is an order Mr. Paris."
 She strode to the hatch.  Paris followed her but no longer
protested.  He knew that when the Captain had her mind made up
that there was no dissuading her.   He caught a glimpse of B'lanna.
She was awake and had undoubtedly heard their exchange.  He
took a long look at her.  Someone had to stay and make sure she
was safe he realized.
 Janeway stood at the open hatch.  "Good luck Mr. Paris."
 "Good luck, Captain."
 And then he watched her step out of the shuttle and onto
the station's floor.

    *

 Takma watched the massive ship before her with
fascination.  It was beautiful and yet powerful at the same time.
Then her gaze fell on the nebula.  It seemed different than most of
the nebula's they had encountered before.
 "General, we are within range of the ship.  We await your
order to fire."
 Kail looked over at Takma.  She seemed preoccupied with
the nebula for some reason.  Then she answered for him.  "Do not
fire just yet.  Run a deep scan on the nebula.  I want to know why
that ship is so close to it first."
 The bridge crew obeyed her.
 Kail would have killed any other person who had done
what
she had, but coming form her, it only increased his respect for her.
 
    *

 Paris nodded to Janeway then pulled her back into the
shuttle and locked the hatch once he was outside.
 At first she was stunned, but then she realized what he was
doing.  "Mr. Paris open this door immediately!"
 "I'm sorry Captain but I can't do that."
 "This is a direct order 'Ensign'!"  She yelled.
 "Captain, you're too valuable to the ship.  I can't let you do
this."  He paused for a second.  "Besides, if something happens I
don't know if I can keep B'lanna safe.  Promise me you'll look out
for her."
 "Tom, open the door now."
 "Please, Captain, just promise me."  Tom's eyes seemed to
plead with the captain, but those eyes also showed resolve.  A
resolve so deep that nothing could dissuade him.
 ''I promise."  She said quietly.
 "Thank you.  And tell  B'lanna... Tell her I love her and I'm
sorry."
                 He left the shuttlebay then.  Janeway watched until she
could no longer see him.  Her eyes filled with tears.  She breathed
in heavily and turned back to the front of the shuttle.  That was
when she saw B'lanna.  The young woman had heard the entire
thing.  Her eyes glistened with tears as she stared at the captain.
 Janeway just turned her attention back to the front of the
shuttle.   Tom wasn't lost yet.  She would make sure of that.

 It was amazing how suddenly the mood of the bridge crew
had changed on Voyager.  Only a few minutes they had silently
complained about boredom.  Now everyone was praying that they
would not lose three of their crewmen.
 "Commander I've got the Delta Flyer."  Harry said.
 The commander visibly lightened his mood.  "On screen
ensign."
 The viewscreen showed a tousled Janeway.  The screen
flickered but remained constant.
 "Captain, are  you alright." Chakotay asked.
 "B'lanna has been injured.  We need an immediate
transport
to sickbay.   Paris has...."   She was cut off and static replaced her
image.
 "Harry get her back on screen." Chakotay ordered.
 Harry shook his head, "I can't sir.  The nebula is blocking
all
communications including transport."  Kim's face then grew pale.
"Commander, the shuttle's shields can't withhold for much longer."
 "Can they get out of there?"
 "I doubt it.  There's too much turbulence.  They won't be
able to hold up for more than a few more minutes."
 Chakotay thought for a minute.  "Can we go in after them?"
 "Our shields might be able to withstand it for a few
minutes
more but we can't stay in more than five to seven minutes."
 "Okay then, take us in."

 Paris ran through the complex towards the destination
Sorores had told him.  The water sound he had  heard earlier had
increased in magnitude.  It was now almost overwhelming yet at
the
same time reassuring.
 **Turn right and head towards the system manifold.**
 He did as he was told.  If he had been thinking clearly he
might have wondered why Sorores's voice came from within his
own mind.  But as it was, he was only concerned with getting his
job done.
 He was getting closer to the Core, he could feel it.
 Droids appeared to his left but he didn't pay attention.
They
fired at him but thanks to Sorores, he was not hit.
 A door stood in his way but opened as he ran through.  He
stopped.  There he was.  Inside the core.
 
 Janeway tried to increase the shields but it was no use.
They had just hailed Voyager and she prayed that they had gotten
her message.  B'lanna was doing better now, physically at least.  As
far as emotionally she wasn't sure.
 *No, we  are not losing Tom.* she repeated for the
hundredth time.
 The end of her message was for them to keep a lock on
Paris so that he could be transported to Voyager just before the
station blew up.
 The Flyer rocked to its port side.  The molecules were
beginning to react with the shuttles radiation fields.  When the
shields fell, little would be left of them.
 Janeway focused her mind solely on getting to Voyager.  If
she could get there then maybe she could find a way to save Tom.

      *

 Takma watched as the alien ship crawled into the nebula.
*What are they doing?* she wondered.
 The same thoughts ran through Kail's mind.  *What's so
important that they would risk their entire ship?*
 "Sir, there seems to be some kind of space station inside
the
nebula.  There is also a shuttle."
 "What kind of space station?" Takma asked.  Her interest
was sparked now.  *Maybe this isn't so boring after all.*
 One of the other crewmembers replied, "The readings I'm
getting from it are off our scales.  Its techknowlogy is ten times
more advanced than anything I have ever seem before."
 "Can we get to it?" Takma would do anything to get that
station.
 "Our shields can't take the energy discharges that the
nebula
is emitting."
 *Damn!*  she thought.
 "Can we get a transporter lock on anything in there." she
was ready to take whatever she could get now.
 "I think we could.  However it will take a while but I might
be able to get a lock on any kind of life form aboard."
 "Do it!"
 
      *

 Voyager was struck by another energy discharge.  The ship
rocked back and forth but Chakotay paid no mind to this.
 "Harry, how far is the shuttle."
 "We should be able to get a tractor beam locked on them in
a few more minutes, Commander."
 "Okay."  With every second that passed Chakotay's heart
skipped a beat.
 *Hold on Kathryn, we're coming.*

 Tom took in his bearings.  He was inside the core.
Everything around him seemed so mechanical yet so alive.  The
walls actually seemed to have a pulse.
 He walked towards the main cylinder inside the room.  Red
tendrils wove around it like vines.  They moved in a sluggish
fashion, like there was nothing better to do.   They silver of the
cylinder was what was so amazing.  It rippled as each tendril
moved
and more tendrils seemed to erupt from it.  They crawled out
toward the walls and then melted into them.
 *How am I supposed to stop this thing?!*
 He was answered by Sorores,  **You must disrupt the
core.**
 That really helped a lot.  *And just how do I do that.*
 **Force something into the core.**
 He thought for a moment.  There was nothing that he could
see to  use.  Then he thought about it.  *She didn't say  it had to be
anything specific*.
 He took off his boot and approached the core.  The tendrils
snaked around him as he got closer.  Taking in a deep breath, he
pushed his boot as far into the silver liquid as he could.  The
tendrils began to whip around furiously.    He dodged them as best
he could but they continued to hit him brutally.  Every hit resulted
in a surge of blinding pain.  It felt like burning fire erupting
through
his body.
 Finally he collapsed on the floor in front of the core.
 "How dare you think you can stop me you weakling."
Neryem's voice echoed throughout the entire station.
 Paris opened his eyes.  *What's going on?*
 "I will not allow you to continue this madness, Neryem.
We
were created to protect this planet and now you wish to destroy it."
 Tom struggled to a sitting position.  He was intent on
hearing this conversation.  The voices echoed inside his mind and
throughout the complex at the same time.
 "We protect this planet because it is our energy source.
You bring in outsiders and now we must destroy what is ours to
prevent it from falling into the wrong hands."
 Sorores made a quick retort. "The Dykinae created us as
protectors not murderers.  We cannot follow the same path as their
other creations did.  We will not become the Borg."
 *A species created the borg!*
 "Your time is up Neryem.  You no longer have control of
this facility."
 Sorores's words were true.  As Paris watched, the core
began to burst upon itself.  Tendrils disconnected and fell to the
floor beside him.
 "You cannot do this Sorrores you..  not... this...."  Neryem's
words began to slur as he said his final threat.  Then the entire core
turned to a bright yellow and finally darkened to almost an
opaqueness.
 "We did it!" he said.  But then the core lit back up and
returned to its previous state.  "What happened?"
 **He has no yet been destroyed, only neutralized.**
 "Neutralized!  Then how do we stop this thing!"
 Sorores was silent for a few moments.  He could have
sworn that there was a tinge of regret in the next words she spoke.
**You must join me.**

 B'lanna sat in the back of the Delta Flyer.  Silent tears ran
down her face.
 *Why did he have to do this?*  she repeated in her mind.
*Why did he have to leave me?*
 Meanwhile Janeway was concentrating on keeping her
promise to Tom.  She wasn't going to let them die now.  Not after
the sacrifice he was willing to make.
 *No I'm not going to let him make that sacrifice.*
 Just then huge explosion rocked the shuttle.  Consoles
behind her blew up and she was knocked out of her chair.  She
picked herself up and sat back down at the helm.  She began to key
in more coordinates but soon realized how futile her efforts were.
She had lost control of all the shuttle's systems.

 "They're within range."  Harry practically shouted.
 "Okay pull them in and let's get out of here."
 Another explosion buffeted the ship.  "Shields are down to
forty percent." Tuvok reported.
 "Commander, we've got them!"  Harry's face lifted as the
words left his mouth.
 "Take us out of here!" Chakotay shouted to the helm.
 "Aye sir."
 
 Janeway felt the tractor beam pulling them towards
Voyager.
 Once they were safely inside she felt the tingle of
transporter beams as she and B'lanna were wisked away to sickbay.
 She never thought that she would be so glad to see the
doctor's face as she had at that moment.
 "Captain," he said.  "Are you injured?"
 He was busy with B'lanna already and could only steal
glances at the captain.  She appeared perfectly fine but he knew all
too well that appearances can be deceiving.
 "I'm fine Doctor.  I have to get to the bridge immediately."
 She ran out of sickbay doors before the doctor could get his
next words out.  "Where is Mr. Paris."

 Tom Paris was still letting Sorores's words sink in.  "What
do you mean I have to join you."
 She hesitated,  **I am unable to self destruct this facility
without the help of another.  You must let me assimilate you to
destroy this station.**
 "I'm not letting you assimilate me!  There has to be another
way.''
 **There is no other way.  I first contacted you on the planet
so that you might help me.  If you do not do this, billions of lives
will end.**
 He thought about her words.  'First contacted you'.
 *The rock*, he thought.
 **That is correct.  I permitted you to enter this facility so
that you could help me.  I hoped that it would not come to this, but
we have no choice.**
 He realized that she was right.  *At least now I know what
that water sound was.*
 "What do I have to do?"
 
 Janeway made a record  for shortest time between sickbay
and the bridge.    She just hoped that
Chakotay  had gotten her message.
 The doors to the bridge opened and she stormed  through.
 "Report." she called out.
 Relief flooded through Chakotay as he saw the captain.
"We're about to be clear of the nebula Captain.'' he said.
 No other three words could have shocked the bridge crew
more than what the captain was about to say.  "Turn us around."
 
 A tendril began to move at Paris's feet.
 **You must let it take you inside the core.**
 He stared at the red vine below him but complied.  He
stood
perfectly still as it wound up his leg to his torso.  Another one
joined that one and latched itself around his neck.  Soon more
were
wrapping around his body, melting into his skin,...assimilating
him.
 They engulfed him in pain.  It hurt.  It hurt more than
anything he had ever experienced.  He tried to scream but one of
the tendrils had already wrapped itself tightly around his neck.  No
air could enter or escape his lungs.
 *Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.*
 He was all too aware of being pulled towards the Core.
His eyes were mirrors of pain and terror.  Everything seemed to be
happening so slowly.  He felt a hand touch the liquid matter of the
Core then his whole arm was engulfed within the silvery water.  It
felt like the liquid was flowing through his veins.  It coursed
through the tendrils and into him.  It burned like lava.
 Soon he was entirely engulfed by the core.  Slowly he felt
himself merge with the ship.  He could now understand the watery
sound he had heard earlier.  It was like another language.  A
language that he had known since birth but had just discovered.
 He felt Sorores next to him, felt her within him.  He
understood everything now,  why this was all so important.  He
saw
the planet, experienced the memories of the station.  The planet
had
been an energy source for them, but it had also hidden a wormhole.
The station had created the planet to camouflage the hole,  but had
also set up  devices along its surface to alert if intruders
approached.  Tom had come in contact with one of those devices
and in the process, Sorores had created a link between him and
herself.  The whole reason for the station became clear, they must
protect the wormhole from any outsiders, even if that meant
sacrificing themselves.
 His body was slowly being integrated into the core,  soon
he
would be able to do it.
 His mind was being transformed,  soon very little of
himself
would be left.
 He had to work fast.  Allying his strength with Sorores,
they
accomplished their goal.
 *It's over,*  was his last thought.  Then he was engulfed in
a
red light and he knew no more.

 All that had just happened to Paris took little more than a
minute.  As he sacrificed himself,  Janeway was still trying to save
his life.

 "Turn us around!"  Janeway repeated.  Voyager was now
clear of the nebula, much to the relief of all on the bridge.  All
except the captain.
 "Captain?'' Harry said.   Everyone was still stunned by her
words.
 "Tom is still out there.  We have to go back and get him."
 Everyone froze at her words.   Chakotay however was the
first to speak up.  "Where is he?"
 His words were accompanied by a deafening explosion
which shook the entire ship.  All aboard the bridge were knocked
to
the floor.  Janeway however was not bothered by the pain.   Her
eyes were fixed on the viewscreen ahead.  Where there was once a
nebula, there now remained only a huge cloud of fire.  As it
dissipated all that was left was a cloud of debris.  No nebula, no
space station, and no Tom Paris.

ONE DAY LATER...

 B'lanna shivered for what seemed like the millionth time.
The after-effects  of her injury the day before were still occurring
but
she had managed to convince the Doctor to let her out of sickbay.
She just couldn't stay there any longer.  Not with all the memories
flooding through her.
 So now she sat huddled on her bed,  shivering violently
from exhaustion,  lack of sleep, and the horror of what had
happened the day before.
 She thought about Tom.  He had given his life to save hers
and she had treated him so badly the days before his death.  She
shuddered again and let a painful sob escape her throat.
 She brought her knees up to her chest and began to cry for
the billionth time in the last day.

 Samantha Wildman dreaded the coming conversation she
was about to have with her daughter.   She had spent almost all day
in sickbay helping the doctor with B'lanna.  The effects had proven
to be only temporary, but Doc had asked her to stay and help him
with the a few more things.  Neelix was watching over Naomi.
She
knew that the Talaxian had heard about Tom but he had promised
to let her tell her daughter.  Sam had been upset enough already
about her friend's death, she hated that her daughter would have to
go through the same thing.
 Entering her cabin, she paused to take in the scenery.
Naomi was on the floor coloring.  Neelix sat in a chair to the side.
He immediately rose to greet Sam.
 "Hello Sam," he said.
 "Hi Neelix."
 Naomi ran over to her mother.  "So is Tom going to come
by soon.  He promised he'd be back as soon as they got finished."
 Sam felt like she was about to cry.  For the last few days all
her daughter had talked about was the 'surprise' Tom had promised
her.  Now to tell her that her  'Uncle Tommy'  wasn't coming
back....
 "Sweetie, we have to talk."  Sam walked over to her
daughter
 Naomi noticed the serious expression cross her mother's
face.  Whenever she had asked about Tom around Neelix today he
had gotten the same look on his face and suddenly become very
quiet.  In fact, he was acting a lot like he had when her mother had
been lost on an away mission.
 "What happenned," she asked.
 Sam gulped.  She knew her daughter was smart, but she
hadn't expected her to find out so quick.
 "Honey, why don't you come  sit down with me on the
couch."  Sam took her little girl in her arms.  "Honey, Tom isn't
going to be coming back."
 "What do you mean he isn't coming back?"
 "While the away team was on their mission, they ran into
some trouble.  One of them had to stay behind so that the others
could get away.  Sweetie, Tom stayed behind."
 Naomi's voice caught in her throat.  "Is he dead?"
 Sam bit her lip and nodded.  "I'm sorry, Honey.  If it hadn't
been for Tom none of us would be here right now."
 Naomi clutched her mother tightly.  She couldn't believe
what had just happened.   Her best friend was gone and would
never come back.  She buried her face in her mother's shoulder and
cried.
 He had promised her that everything was going to be
alright.  He was supposed to be back home on Voyager,  not.... not
dead.
 Neelix watched the two cry together.  It seemed just about
everyone had when they heard the news.  Knowing that there was
nothing he could do, he left the two alone and headed back to his
cabin to do his own grieving.
 .
    *

 "So how is our guest doing?"  Takma walked towards one
of the holding cells in the brig.  Inside lay a crumpled body.
 "Well we had a bit of trouble getting him stabilized at first,
but his body seems to be healing quite rapidly now.  I have to
admit, I've never seen anything like it.  His body is a perfect blend
of both biological and mechanical components.  I can't even tell
where one begins and the other ends."  The doctor's enthusiasm
was evident, a feature which thrilled Takma.
 "I'm sure we can find a useful purpose for him."  She gazed
at the body inside the cell.  He was having a small problem
breathing but that didn't matter as long as he was alive.  "I want
you
to keep this one alive.  Until we can harness his technology, I
don't want anything to happen to him.  That also means keeping
your mouth shut, Doctor.  Do you understand?"
 He understood only too well.  "Your secret is safe with
me."
 "I thought as much.  Now leave."
 The doctor left in nothing less than a jog.  Takma enjoyed
making her subjects cower.  It ensured that they wouldn't cross her.
Kail walked in once the doctor had gone.
 "I see 'it' is still alive." he said, regarding the being in the
cell.
 "Yes, 'he' is." Takma replied.  Kail was the only one she
trusted well enough to talk openly to.  "You should have heard the
doctor ramble on about him.  I've never seen him so excited.  It
seems from what he told me that this 'creature' is even more
advanced than the Borg.  Could you imagine what kind of
technology we could harness from him."
 "I suppose we were wise to transport the only life-form on
that station instead of one of their computers."  he reflected.  "As
valuable as this one is, I don't suppose we should tell many about
him."
 Takma looked up.  Could he have been reading her mind?
"No we wouldn't want 'anyone' to know about him, including my
husband."
 Kail smiled, "I'm sure that can be arranged.  Since this will
provide you with so much power, I was wondering if you might
need an extra hand to help you."
 It was Takma's turn to smile now.  "You know General, the
Pretor would surely become angry if he discovered our little
'secret'."
 "Well perhaps it is time we get a new Pretor for the
Empire.
And who better than the grieving widow of our dearly departed
Portus."
 "I like the way you think, Kail."  She turned her vision back
to the cell.  The body stirred slightly.  His blond hair intrigued
Takma.  She had never before seen a being with hair like the sun.
It
was clear that he had handsome features despite the still fresh
blood
stains.
 A very good prize indeed. she thought to herself.
 "Come General," she said as she broke her vision away
from
the man on the floor.  "I believe we should discuss our business
elsewhere."
 As they left, the figure on the floor let out a soft groan.
His
blue eyes flickered open for a brief second as he tried to identify
his
surroundings.  The light in his eyes lit up brightly, pride and
will-power evident in those sky blue orbs.  Then his lids fell shut
and the darkness consumed him once more.
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The End.... For now.

If you wish to see future parts you may go to my web page at:

http://www.oocities.org/Area51/Capsule/1494/index.html

Or you can wait for the next parts to arrive on this page.
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