Chapter 2

The silence on the bridge was so profound that no one knew what to say. They had watched as the entrance of the wormhole had spit out a giant wave of energy and had opened like a surreal mouth and swallowed up the Flyer with Tom Paris and had then dissipated and left nothing but empty space.

Finally Chakotay softly said to no one in particular

"What just happened?"

Captain Janeway looked at her first officer and said nothing. Tom was gone and they had no way to know what had happened. Was he alive? Was he able to gain enough control of the shuttle to maybe be able to navigate the wormhole? Was it stable enough to let him exit out the other end? She had no way of knowing. The idea that she had lost her pilot and friend was something she didn't want to contemplate at the moment. To lose a crew member was never easy, and she just didn't want to think about that at the moment. She turned to see Harry looking at the view screen with a look of unbelief on his face and she knew the depth of his sorrow. Tom was like a big brother to him and he would feel the loss more than them all. In that one small moment, her heart went out to the Ensign as she saw his pain. She knew she had to give some hope to them all. She took a deep breath and said

"Okay people, we will be staying here for the time being. Senior staff, we will be meeting in fifteen minutes to go over our options."

With that she turned and strode to her ready room and as the doors closed behind her, if any of the bridge crew could see her face they would have seen a single tear run down her face.

They had been hanging there for the last thirty-six hours and the wormhole had not reappeared. They had gone over all the information they had gathered on the wormhole. Tom's readings had been invaluable and they now knew that the wormhole's other opening was approximately ten years away. If they could have opened this end to get Voyager through, and if the other end had been large enough to fit through, they would have taken ten years off their journey home, but they had determined with the sensor readings Tom had gotten that the opening on the other side had been only slightly larger than this side was. So they would have to continued on there way home. Now they were only waiting to see if the wormhole would open again and were hoping beyond hope that the Flyer would shoot through and Tom would be back. It had not happened. It had opened for a minute and nothing came through and then it had closed again. Tuvok had finally determined that it was a very unstable one and most likely would never open again and now they were ready to go on. They had a wealth of data from the information that Tom had sent back to Voyager and they had decided to follow the information and search for the pilot. They had the coordinates of the other side and they knew that it would take approximately ten years, but none of them were willing to give up and clung to the hope that maybe...just maybe he had survived and made it to an inhabitable planet and that they would find him. Time would tell.

The Delta Flyer shot out the wormhole with such speed and such violence that Tom was having a problem keeping control of his flight path. He cursed as he began to roll and grabbed the one joystick trying hard to get some control of the roll. It took all his skills as a pilot to accomplish the feat. He finally got full control and sighed as he checked the sensors. He noticed that he had damage to the right nacelle and was venting plasma from both. He knew that if he didn't find a place to land and soon, he was looking at a serious problem. He began to search for an inhabitable planet. And he needed to do it fast. The other nacelle was venting more plasma and he knew the warp engines were shot. With that thought, he knew he'd be stuck on whatever planet he found and that without warp capabilities, he'd never make it home to the AQ. Well, there was time later to think about that, right now he had need to find a place to land. He began checking the sensors, and found he was near a planet that may suffice for his needs. He turned the sensors toward the planet and scanned it for any life signs. He found that it contained several lower life signs but nothing he found spoke of any civilization. The surface was more of a tropical environment and the atmosphere seem to be breathable. He noted with relief that the temperature seem to be tolerable not to hot and not too cool, so if this was going to be his home, he would not be too uncomfortable. He guided the shuttle towards the planet and prepared to land. As he began passing through the atmosphere the shuttle began to shake. He was having problems keeping it steady and again cursed as he was almost thrown from the seat. He finally cleared and was now gliding over the landscape, looking for a good place to land. It took him a good ten minutes to find a suitable place. He saw a mountain range and as he maneuvered around to find the best spot, he saw a large stream and some trees near it. He saw a level space just off the stream and to the right of the tree line and decided that would be the best place and gently set the Flyer down. He was glad he had made it down so easily as he knew that the plasma was still venting. He shut the engines down and it was then he heard a loud whoosh and he knew at that point the warp was gone. He let out the breath he had been holding and just sat there a moment. Well this was it. He was now on the ground and knew he was here to stay. His thought drifted to Voyager and wondered what was happening on board. Were they wondering if he had made it? Were they going to try and find him? Did they even care? He shook his head at that last thought...no he wasn't going to think that way. He knew there were those on board who would not care, but he also knew there were those who would. Suddenly he felt very alone and he hung his head. What if they never found him? Was he distended to be forever alone, like a hermit? He would miss his friends...Harry...B'Elanna...the Captain...even Chakotay. All of a sudden he wished that he had dragged someone with him so he wouldn't be alone. But he shook that thought off. He wouldn't want any of his friends to be in this situation...no he could do this, but it would be hard. He drew in a breath and stood up and went to the hatch and opened it. It was time to survey the Flyer and his new home. Later he would think about his friends and what lay ahead of him.

Tom was sitting just outside of the entrance of the Flyer thinking. He was watching the sun as it began slipping below the horizon. He had spent over an hour checking every system and had found that it was better than he had thought. The warp was gone, but his impulse power was intact. He would have enough power to run the systems for a long time. At least he would have replicator use for what he thought for a long time. Until he could survey the local flora to see if there was any edible fruit he could use he could replicate anything. He hoped to plant a garden so he could grow food for himself, and then he could preserve power. He also hoped that the stream held edible fish as he was quite a good fisherman. He smiled slightly as he thought of his uncle Jon who was his mother's brother and the times he had visited during then summers. His uncle had taught him a lot about survival and how to live off the land. He was grateful for that, as he knew he was here to stay.

But right now he was tired and just wanted to enjoy the reds,golds and purples of the sky. He had always loved watching the sunsets and this was a spectacular one. At least he would have that to look forward to. He looked up and saw the first star peeking out and wondered about it. Did it have planets around it? Were there any people on them? He sighed and decided that this train of thought was not getting him anywhere. He again looked as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and as he watched the colors began to fade. More stars became visible and a slight chill came over the planet. He sat for a few minutes more and then got up and went into the shuttle and closed the hatch. He was tired and hungry and he had a lot to do tomorrow. He walked over to the replicator, but couldn't decide what he wanted. He finally chose a bowl of hot plain tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. He sat on the edge of the bunk and ate, thinking of the days events. When he finished, he recycled the bowl and spoon and went to get ready for sleep. When he came out of the restroom he went to the bunk and sat back down. He was glad he had made the bunks wider and more comfortable that the standard star fleet issue shuttle. He looked up and quietly said

"Computer lights out."

The computer obeyed and he laid down to contemplate the next day. He planned to check out the area and decide on where best to build his shelter and plant his garden. He also wanted to check for fish and fruit and maybe some berries. He lay there thinking and finally the stress of the day let up and he was able to finally drift off to sleep.

Tom wake and for a moment, he wasn't sure where he was. He just knew he wasn't in his quarters. Then it came back to him and he sighed. He was alone and that was all there was to it. He had dreamed of being on Voyager and being with his friends as they were eating in the mess hall. Neelix had made some large muffins and Tom has said how they reminded him of a brick as they were quite solid. They had all tried hard to find a way to dispose of them without hurting Neelix's feelings. He had tried to make more things the crew would like. He had finally gotten it right too and his muffins had become a big hit with the crew. Tom smiled to himself as he got up and got ready for the day. He had dressed and then had a cup of coffee with some peanut butter toast and then he left the shuttle to do his exploring.

By noon, he had scouted out a two mile square of territory and found that he had indeed found a good place to settle. He had decided on where the shelter was going up and the plot of land for the garden. He had found an abundance of fish in the stream and the scan showed they would be edible so he knew he would not want for a variety of fish. He had also found fruit and berries and had gathered some to bring back to the shuttle. The berries reminded him of raspberries and blueberries and the fruit was like apples and peaches. He stepped into the shuttle and laid the container down that had the fruit in it on the table by the replicator. He had scanned them and knew they were safe for human consumption, so he decided for lunch he would have a sandwich and fruit. He got the sandwich from the replicator and took his lunch and went back outside to sit and eat. He was very grateful the weather was so pleasant and hoped it was a year round thing. As he ate, he decided he would start the shelter this afternoon. He could use a lot of the materials on the planet and maybe he'd need to only replicate a few things he needed. Again he thanked his uncle for teaching him so much about survival and living off the land. He also gave a thought of thanks to his mother who had insisted he learn to cook and bake. He smiled broadly as he remembered his dad's objections and that it was not needed for someone going to be the next Paris in the Star Fleet hierarchy. He was now grateful his mom had insisted. He would not starve.

The sun was setting and Tom was satisfied with his work. He had been able to get a good start and he had a framework,roof and walls up. He was standing in the large room and deciding how he was going to do the inside. He wondered if he should just leave it one large room or divide it into rooms. He finally decided to do a large living area with separate bedroom and kitchen areas. He would start that tomorrow. He was tired and he decided it was time to quit for the day. He gathered the tools and laid them in the corner and before he left, he again turned and looked at the large room. It was something he could be proud of and he sighed in satisfaction, remembering his uncle saying that a job worth doing was worth doing well.

He left and walked towards the shuttle and when he reached it he turned and again looked at his work. It was standing under a couple of trees, so it would be shaded from the sun beating down on it, so it should be cool. He had made many windows to let the breeze flow through and he would be able to see from all angles. There didn't seem too be any flying insects so he decided to leave the windows open to the air. After two years on Voyager he liked the idea that he could look out at the scenery. He entered the shuttle and went to clean up. He decided that a hot shower would be nice, so he stripped and stepped into the hot water and let it wash away the sweat and grime of the day. After about a half hour he reluctantly shut the water off and stepped out and dried off. Luckily the water used in the bathroom was recycled so he knew he wouldn't run out of it. It felt good to be clean and the hot water had relaxed him. He got into some sweatpants and pulled on a tee shirt. He had replicated some clothes so he didn't have to be in uniform all the time. He felt tired and decided to eat and just go to bed. The sun had set and now the moon had risen and the landscape was bathed in its light. He replicated some stew and took it out to enjoy the evening. He sat down and began eating and deciding on his days activities tomorrow. He was committed to finish his home and hoped to start on some furniture. He wasn't quite ready to cannibalize the flyer yet, and was determined to build all he could. He was confident he could build the basics, but knew he needed a way to rig a power source from the Flyer. He hoped he could figure out a way to just run some sort of cables to the home. He sighed and wished that B'Elanna or Harry was here to help. He was no engineer but he thought he could do it...at least he hoped so.

Three months had passed and Tom lay on the ground under the engines of the Delta Flyer working on connecting the power grid that he hoped would power his home. He had been having problems hooking it up and had already blown a coupling but luckily he had discovered his mistake and now he was just hooking the last connection. There... it was connected and he pulled himself out from under it and stood. He surveyed his work and double checked the connections. Now everything looked good and he took and wiped the sweat off his brow. The sun was almost overhead and he was anxious to see if it worked. Carefully he switched the power relay on and heard the familiar hum. He waited for a moment and then pulled out his scanner and checked it. Everything seemed good. He slowly let the breath out he hadn't realized he was holding. He checked the scanner again and the power outlet looked good. He turned and walked the few steps to his house and went in. The room was large and he had been busy building furniture. He had a couch of sorts and a chair plus a table and two chairs that he would use as a dining table. He had made two chairs because he felt it was better than one and in his thoughts, he knew he would feel better if he had the other chair. He knew it was silly, but it did make him feel less alone. He kinda grinned when he thought about the movie he and Harry had seen in the holodeck about a plane crash survivor who had used a volleyball as a companion to talk to while he was there...Wilson he thought he remembered the lead character naming it. Maybe he'd replicate a volleyball and name it Wilson!

To the right was the bedroom and he had made a bedstead, a dresser and a small bedside table that held a lamp. He had used a mattress from the shuttle and it was comfortable. It had been made up and his two pillows were on the bed. It had a colorful quilt and looked neat, something else his father had drummed into his being. A Star Fleet person was a neat person. To the left was a small kitchenette and he had been able to rig up a cook-top and stove of sorts He used firewood to heat them both, but it worked for him.. He had also been able to do a type of pump for water from the stream. It reminded him of the pictures he had seen of the houses in the nineteenth century and he was proud that it had worked.

He had moved the shuttle closer, so it was just a few steps away, and he had decided to keep the bathroom facilities with the shuttle. He looked at the lamp he had made and said

"Well, here goes."

He leaned over and flipped the switch and...the light lit up. He sighed and sat down in the chair. It was working and now he would have power for his use. He wouldn't be in the dark at night. He just needed to be careful he didn't overload the power circuits. He leaned over and turned the light out and then leaned back and looked around his home. It was sparse but he decided it was ample for his needs. He closed his eyes and was about to doze off when he heard a noise at the door. He jumped slightly but then settled down as he saw the animal that was coming in and over to him. It was a dog like creature and it looked like a beagle. It had the coloring of silver and black instead of the typical coloring of a beagle, but looked just like one with the soft floppy ears. He had found the creature about a month ago trapped in the underbrush about a mile from his home. It had been hurt and Tom could see that it had been attacked by a larger animal. It had been whimpering and when Tom approached him, his tail had begun to wag and the whimpers had gotten more insistent. Once Tom determined that the dog like creature was no threat to him, he had carried him back home and nursed it back to health. Now he was a member of the family and Tom was glad that he had company of sorts. The dog came over and looked up at him with those puppy dog eyes and whined. He was a sucker and reached down and picked the pup up. He had estimated that he was about four months old and now he gently settled the dog in his lap and began to pet him, all the while the dog's tail was thumping against his lap.

"Well, Harry, what have you been up to these last two hours hum?"

He had named the pup after his best friend and hoped Harry didn't mind. But then Harry would never know would he? The thought of his friend brought a lump to his throat and he got quiet. The pup, like all animals everywhere, sensed his mood and licked his hand. He looked down and smiled and said

"You know Har, maybe it won't be so lonely with you here."

He took the pup up to his chest and hugged him while the dog's tail wagged all the more.

TBC