Reality Check- Chapter 3

Earth

Tom Paris got dressed in the uniform that was in his dresser after getting himself cleaned up. He walked throughout the corridors of the ship trying to find his way to the mess. Only problem was, the ship he was on was huge and confusing as hell. He remembered nothing about life on it or about the girl…Danielle…that was her name. He wandered around the ship for over an hour, still not able to find the mess. But his girlfriend found him near the engine room.

"Where were you?" She asked obviously not happy at all.

"Uh, I got lost." Tom answered honestly.

"How could you get lost? You know this ship like the back of your hand." She said confused.

It was the truth, too. He had no clue what the back of his hand looked like and had no clue what this ship looked like on the inside. "I'm not feeling all that well." He replied.

"Obviously." She responded. "Listen, I'll go get Sadley and have her cover your shift today. But I'll come by your quarters later and I'll take you out to lunch."

"That would be perfect." Tom said with a small smile.

"Perfect is my middle name, you know." Danielle joked. But that flew over Tom's head and he thought that it actually was her middle name. Danielle's smile disappeared after she saw that Tom didn't get it. "Here, I'll take you back to your quarters."

The couple walked back together to his quarters. There was quiet between the two, which was unusual since Danielle was a constant talker. They made their way back to Tom's cabin and Danielle left him there after a short kiss between the two.

Tom grabbed the portable computer that was on top of his dresser and sat down on the bed. He began to read about himself, Danielle, this ship, anything he could find. He discovered that Danielle's middle name wasn't actually perfect, which made him wonder why she told him it was.

He had been the son of a very prominent Starfleet person named Owen whom had wanted Tom to join Starfleet as well. Even though Owen kept forcing Tom towards Starfleet, his love of the sea did not waver and at the age of 18, Tom joined the Federation Naval Patrol Academy. Since then, he and his father didn't speak at all. One night, when Tom was out with some friends he met Danielle who was with some man. They stayed in contact and Tom eventually convinced her to join the FNP and eventually, the two became romantically linked.

Then there was Voyager. For some reason, Tom felt a strange connection towards the missing ship. It had been missing for roughly six months. Missing…in the Delta Quadrant, but how he knew that, he had no clue…

For the rest of the day, into the night, and even into the next day, Tom looked through the computer database to figure out more about himself. The only time he stopped reading was when Danielle took him out for lunch. She kept talking to him, but he didn't really talk back making their lunch date boring as hell.

By 0900 hours the next day, Tom had remembered practically all of his life. Not the one he had with Danielle, but the one where he was on Voyager. The real one, his reality. This was an alternate reality.

I was on a shuttle mission with…with…Tom thought. With Sarah Woods. That's right, we were surveying the…Korintal planet system when…when…

But his thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock at his door. Tom put the computer that had been on his lap on the bed and went to the door. The door opened to reveal Danielle.

"Just the person I wanted to see." He said.

"Really, why?" Danielle asked suspiciously.

"I don't belong here." Tom replied. I've said that before…He thought. But when? "I'm from a different reality."

"What?" Danielle asked baffled. "Is this some joke?" She said and started to smile.

"No, this is real." Tom answered. "I'm supposed to be on Voyager, right now, but instead, I'm here."

"You can't be serious." She said bluntly. "Is this why you've been acting so weird and…out of it over the past few days? They're gone, Tom, you aren't!"

She's said that before…He thought. "No, they're in the Delta Quadrant!" Tom replied. I've said that before…

"No, Tom, they're missing." Danielle said angrily. "What is with you? You have a good life here, why do you think you should be there?"

"Because this isn't my reality!" Tom said practically yelling. "I'm supposed to be on Voyager. I was in a shuttle and then we were attacked. I'm telling the truth."

This seems so familiar…He kept thinking. We've had this conversation before, I just know it.

Danielle looked away for a moment, then back at Tom. "Don't raise your voice at me, Tom Paris." She replied. "You need to come with me." She tried to grab for Tom's arm.

Tom moved his arm out of reach of Danielle. "No, I'm staying right here." Tom said.

"Fine." Danielle responded. She quickly turned around and walked away.

"That was way too familiar." Tom said to himself after the door had closed. He sat down on his bunk; he was so damn tired after staying up all night.

Tom was fast asleep when there was another knock on his door. It was Danielle again, but she brought with her a medical officer and a security officer. They were there to take Tom down to the Infirmary to get him checked out. But when they opened the door forcibly after he wouldn't answer, they discovered that Tom wasn't there.


Voyager

Tom Paris woke up slowly this time. He looked around the room in the darkness and then got up and walked into the bathroom. After closing the door, he turned on the light and looked at himself in the mirror.

My name is…Tom Paris. Tom thought. He looked at himself and then at his surroundings. I'm on Voyager…but…who am I?

There was a small knock on the bathroom door and he opened it. There standing in front of him was a woman who was about a meter and a half tall. She was beautiful with her light brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. Then, as if like he was hit by a train, Tom remembered her name. Her name was…Odile.