A/N: This is my first fan fiction. I do not own Star Trek or ST: VOY. Any and all comments are welcome.
Acts Chapter Two, verses 2-4, New International Version. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Tom Paris frowned. That doesn't sound like much fun, he thought to himself. Just blowing up Dr. Chaotica's Death Ray isn't going to cut it …I've got it! He tapped some buttons on the padd he was holding.
He was in his quarters, writing the plot for a new holonovel, titled The Adventures of Captain Proton. He'd always had a fascination with 20th century Earth-he even ate so-called "junk food" every once in a while-and had recently taken an interest in how people from the mid 20th century had viewed the future. So, he was basing the program on science fiction works from that period.
The comm. system beeped. "Red Alert. Lt. Paris to the bridge," called Captain Janeway.
Tom responded, and was there in a few moments. "Do we have guests?" he asked, relieving the ensign at the helm.
"We detected a transwarp signature," explained Janeway. "It wasn't Borg, so we decided to drop out of warp and try to contact them, to try to get a transwarp coil. Strange thing is, it's gone now. Absolutely nothing on sensors now. We went to red alert as a precaution."
Tuvok spoke from his station. "I am now detecting a ship of unfamiliar configuration. It is within visual range."
"Onscreen."
Nothing but an empty star field. Glances were shared all around the bridge.
Tuvok worked at his station. "There is no cloaking device within a range of several light-years. I cannot explain the phenomenon."
"I think I can," said Tom. "Look."
Harry Kim whistled from his station.
Something was definitely there. It was glowing a bright purple; other than that, it could be anything.
"Mr. Tuvok, Mr. Kim, report," commanded Janeway.
Harry tapped his console. A harsh beeping noise issued from it. "I've been locked out," he exclaimed, bewildered.
Tom pressed some controls experimentally. "Helm's locked out too. Whatever's causing this either isn't too selective, or knows what it's doing."
Janeway turned to Tuvok. "Do we still have weapons?"
He responded in the negative.
Janeway tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Torres. Report."
"Whatever's out there is emitting some sort of dampening field. The only things that aren't down are shields, internal sensors, communications, the holodeck, and life support. We're working on it."
"Captain!" shouted Tom.
A beam of energy-the same purple color as its source-was approaching Voyager.
Very slowly.
Tuvok tried his console again. "I am still unable to undo the lockout," he said.
"I believe the most appropriate term for our situation," said Tom "is 'sitting duck'."
"Want to get out and push?" remarked Harry.
The beam continued on.
After some time, it reached the outer shields, passing through them like they weren't even there.
It continued to grow on the view screen.
Then, it seemed to pass through it, too.
And then, it hit Tom Paris.
The console in front of him erupted in a shower of sparks. Not that it mattered; Tom had already flown back a full meter, and didn't get hurt by it. He hit the ground, hard, skidding to a halt in front of Captain Janeway.
She slapped her commbadge. "Bridge to Doctor. Medical emergency." She knelt down and checked his pulse and breathing. He was alive, but unconscious.
The Doctor stepped from the turbo lift, a medkit in hand. "What happened?" He put down the medkit and took out a medical tricorder.
"It was some sort of energy beam," explained Janeway. "It passed right through the hull, but it was the slowest thing I think I've ever seen."
The Doctor glanced at her, then continued the scan. "He seems to be fine. There is evidence of a massive energy charge. I'd say it only disrupted his nervous system for only a few seconds. This should do it." He took out a hypospray from the medkit, touched a control, and dispensed a drug into Tom's neck.
Tom's eyes fluttered open. "Ug…What happened?"
"You were hit by the energy beam," explained Janeway. "I want you to report to Sickbay for a full examination." Tom nodded in agreement.
Tuvok spoke again. "The lockout has been lifted, Captain. I can find no trace of the phenomenon."
They all looked to the view screen.
There was nothing.
Captain's log, stardate 51818.2. Continuous scans still show no signs of the anomaly. I, for one, am relieved. The Doctor has found no problems with Mr. Paris, and has released him from sickbay.
B'Elanna pressed the call button. "Come in," called Tom from inside.
The door whooshed open.
Tom was staring blankly at a wall, a padd in hand. "Tom?" she asked worriedly.
He blinked, turned to her and smiled. "Hi," he greeted her. "I want you to look at this." He handed her the padd.
B'Elanna scrolled through it. It was a holonovel. "The Adventures of Captain Proton, huh?" She handed it back. "Sounds interesting…Leave me out of it."
Tom grinned. "Fine with me. The only role I think you could fill is Queen of the Spider-People--"
"No," said B'Elanna, firmly. "But think about a few more female roles."
Tom frowned a bit, then added a note to himself on the padd. "Noted." He saved the program and shut the padd off. "Let's go, shall we?"
Tom fired his phaser at the blue-edged disk, missed. He fired again; too late. It struck him-and disappeared.
"Full impact," intoned the computer. "Round to B'Elanna Torres. Winner: B'Elanna Torres. Score: 7 to 3."
"Okay," panted Tom. "Tiebreaker?" B'Elanna nodded. "Computer," he continued, "New game." The disk appeared again, flashing blue and red.
Tom had no idea how he'd been keeping up. Since B'Elanna was half-Klingon, she tended to win games like Velocity. She'd picked this for tonight's date-a few games of Velocity, then a swim and a sunset on Risa. Simulated, of course.
The disk turned blue again. Tom managed to shoot it immediately; it turned red and spun towards B'Elanna. She dove out of the way, twisted, and shot the disk.
Tom wasn't ready for it. He rolled, and in a brief moment of panic, he dropped his phaser. It slid away, out of reach , and too far for him to scramble for it. He flipped over to face the disk. Human instincts quickly took over, and he reflexively shielded his face with his arms.
Something changed.
In an instant-which, despite its blinding speed, seemed to pass in slow motion-Tom uncovered his face.
It was utterly, entirely, devoid of expression.
And then, he moved.
Before B'Elanna knew it, Tom managed somehow to grab the phaser.
He shot the disk, hitting it dead center.
It hovered for a split second, changed color, and came back for B'Elanna.
She was too surprised to move.
"Full impact. Round to Tom Paris."
Tom blinked. "What just…" He couldn't finish the sentence.
B'Elanna hesitated. "Computer, end program." She helped Tom to his feet. "You're going to Sickbay."
Tom didn't argue.
Captain's log, supplemental. After another thorough examination of Mr. Paris, we are still no closer to understanding what happened on the Holodeck. Meanwhile, we are stopping near a Class-6 nebula for routine maintenance to the warp core. I've given most of the crew time off-duty to rest.
Harry took another bite of his sandwich, staring out the mess hall windows. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said to Tom, who was sitting next to him. They were both off-duty, and were looking at the nebula while eating.
Tom grunted a bit.
Harry started to say something else, then stopped. Tom doesn't grunt, usually he has an answer. He looked at Tom, just to be sure he was all right.
He was staring at the window, without any expression whatsoever.
"Tom?" prodded Harry. "Are you with us?"
Tom's head snapped to stare at Harry. His gaze had been unfocused, but now it was very sharp, as if he was staring at the bulkhead behind Harry.
Tom moved his mouth.
Something spoke.
Its-Harry felt certain Tom wasn't in control-language was hissing, guttural, garbled. Harry had heard a Klingon speaking before; this was similar, except now the Klingon was gargling, with a cup of sulfuric acid.
He slapped his commbadge. "Kim to sickbay, medical emergency." He moved around the table to get some distance between Tom and he. After another second, he tapped the badge again. "Kim to Bridge. We've got a visitor." Yellow Alert was sounded.
Through this, Tom continued talking. Harry wondered why the Universal Translator wasn't kicking in. With the amount of information he was putting out, he should be understandable by now, though he knew of at least one instance of a race whose language wasn't translated completely by the UT. Eventually, it was found that their language was based entirely on metaphors derived from their language.
Of course, they at least had seemed to be speaking in Standard. Strange, archaic-sounding phrases, but Standard nonetheless.
Through this little trip of internal speculation, Tom never moved his body, except to keep that eerie gaze fixed on fixed on him. Harry wished for a tricorder, so he could at least scan him.
The mess hall doors hissed open, and Captain Janeway stepped through, with Tuvok, a security team, and the Doctor close behind. "What's going on?" she demanded. Tom paused for a moment to stare at Janeway, then returned his gaze to Harry and continued speaking.
Tuvok and the Doctor both took out tricorders and scanned Tom. "Most fascinating," remarked Tuvok. "His brainwaves are being suppressed and modified. He appears to be under the influence of an alien force." He manipulated some controls on his tricorder. "The modification of his speech center's function is inhibiting the Universal Translator's normal function, but the translator is compensating. I estimate that the translator will begin translation within the next ten minutes."
"I can wait," replied Janeway.
"It's not just speech centers, though," added the Doctor. "His heart rate has increased dramatically from normal, and his breathing rate as well. Tom's not in any immediate danger, but whether it will stay that way remains to be seen."
They couldn't do anything but wait and hope the Universal Translator would still work as advertised.
—do not understand. Why do you continue to ignore me? said the creature. Finally, the UT was doing its job. What is your function? Its voice was very deep.
"Finally," sighed the Captain, exasperated. "I am Captain Janeway, commander of the Federation starship Voyager. State your intentions."
It (or he?) tilted his head. I am an explorer. My purpose is to study biochemical life-forms such as you. My people have found that this is the only way we can communicate with biological entities-to take control of one. I offer a trade of information with your home world and mine.
"We're explorers, ourselves," answered Janeway. "But we're a very long way from home." A thought crossed her mind. "That energy beam-was that the method your people use to contact others?"
Yes, affirmed the being. It is the only way my people know.
"Then, the transwarp signature, the ship we detected—"
It was indeed my people, the creature interrupted. We could not enter your people in that manner otherwise, because your warp fields disrupt the beam. Likewise, I cannot communicate within these warp fields. Therefore, we were forced to trick you.
Janeway thought back. It made sense; all reported incidents had happened when they had dropped out of warp.
The Doctor interrupted her thoughts. "I'm worried that this could be harming Mr. Paris. Is there any way you could transfer yourself to another crewmember if it gets too dangerous?"
The alien turned to the Doctor. I cannot. He was chosen because of specific biological and mental factors, and none of your other crewmembers were found to have the exact factors required. He paused. I can, however, release him from my control.
Janeway and the Doctor looked at each other. "Then we'd like you to release him now. We need some time to consider what you've told us."
Very well, agreed the alien. When you have decided, simply drop out of warp. I will take control again. Tom's eyes lost focus, then rolled back into his head as he lost consciousness.
The Doctor rushed forward, but missed catching him. Instead, he propped Tom's head up with one hand and scanned him with a tricorder in the other. "Life signs are normal. He's no longer under the alien's influence." He took out a hypospray and pressed it against Tom's neck. It hissed, and Tom came to.
He groaned and sat up. "Please tell me that was a bad dream."
The Doctor shook his head and helped Tom to his feet.
"…so guy staggers to his feet and goes back--" Tom stopped mid-punch line. Harry had been monitoring him for any signs of change, so they would know what to look for when the alien attempted to gain control. There were none, however. He tapped his commbadge. "Ensign Kim to Captain," he said. "Our visitor's back."
Janeway stepped through the conference room doors. The alien looked at her with that same, unnerving, piercing gaze. Hello, Captain, greeted the alien. Have your people made a decision?
"Yes. We've agreed to share our knowledge."
Excellent, he said. Where shall we begin?