A/N: This part of the Corridor series was written back in 2001. Many years later, someone kindly asked me if the story had ever been finished. Unfortunately, the answer is no. That said, I did find the present part posted on another site. I cleaned it up a bit - still, the grammar is bad - but here it is. Maybe one day, the last part of this story (and of the Neoplasm series) will get written. Thank you for reading.

Synbou

DISCLAIMER: Tom Paris and the rest of Voyager's crew are Paramount's, but the story, the Amnesty, and unrelated characters are Synbou's. This is a P/T story rated PG-13.
Set after the episode "30 Days".

SERIES WARNING: READ THE PRIOR STORIES!

Prior stories in the "Neoplasm Universe".
1) Neoplasm
2) In The Dark
3) Decytologenesis
4) Corridor: The Secret Pain.
5) Corridor: The Secret Past
6) Corridor: The Secret Path

SYNOPSIS: The Amnesty finally meets with Voyager. As Tom recovers, their journey in the Corridor begins.

Corridor: The Secret Pawn - part A

000

Chakotay had been visiting Asa everyday since he had rescued the child from the Winter Garden's icy pond. Each time, he noticed that the days were growing longer and warmer. The cold wind had died down. The snow was melting under the bright sun. The hole in the ice covering the pond was getting larger and larger. Winter was gradually giving away to a long overdue Spring.

The new season was a time for rebirth for Tom and Asa. In the physical realm, Tom had finally gotten the upper hand on his cancer. The curing treatment had been quick and efficient, however the road to full recovery was proving to be a long one. Had Tom not been so worried about taking Voyager and the Amnesty into the Corridor, his convalesce would have been a lot easier. On the other hand, had it not been for the arrival of the Mist and Gwanna's reaction to leola roots, they would have lost Tom quite some time ago. All things considered, Chakotay was confident that, surrounded by the support of both the Amnesty's crew and Voyager's, Tom would be back to his old self in no time.

In the spiritual realm, Chakotay was pleased to see Asa getting better as well. The mask of wax that had covered the child's face had slowly melted under the warm sun. With a wet piece of his uniform, Chakotay had cleaned away the remaining of the white substance. It was with relief that he observed Asa's smooth baby skin being free of scars.

The young boy was slow to warm up, but it was an ongoing process. He had first reacted to Mr. Blue's presence, then to the wolf. Eventually, Asa started to show hint of recognition upon Chakotay's return.

That simple flicker in Asa's beautiful blue eyes had pleased the Native American to no end. However, it had been nothing compared to the joy he had felt the day Asa had got off the bench and walked down the path to meet him. Now, Chakotay was only waiting for the child to say his first words to him. He knew from the interactions between Tom and Gwanna that Asa was likely to speak another language. Chakotay did not care in which one the words would come, as long as they did.

000

Four months after the Amnesty's departure from the Alpha Quadrant and six weeks since the arrival of The Mist into the Delta Quadrant, Voyager and her crew were ready to begin their journey into the Corridor, under the protection and the guidance of the Amnesty. Of course, the event called for a celebration. On the night before the D-Day, a huge party was organized.

Paul could hear the music from down the hall. The party was being held at The Distant Waters, the holographic reconstruction of one of Port-Ayalexis most popular Pub. Coming in, Paul found Neelix tending the bar that faced the entrance. To its right, Harry and his band were performing on a small stage. The jazz was a bit out of place, but still quite nice. In the left corner, sharing a table with Audrey, Paul found the object of his desire; Kathryn.

"Good evening, Ladies," he greeted in his most charming voice.

"Good evening, Paul," Kathryn said as she tipped her head. "Care to join us?"

The small gesture made his heart skip a beat, she was the most intoxicating woman he had ever met.

"I am too weak of a man to refuse such an offer." He took her hand and place a kiss on her wrist. "You look lovely tonight." He added.

"Thank you," said Kathryn, as a red hue coloured her cheeks.

Quick to realize that Cupid was at work here, Audrey decided it was in their best interest - especially her own - to make an hasty retreat and leave Paul and Kathryn at their own games.

"If you'll excuse me, I got some things I want to say to Tom. "Good evening."

The two love birds barely noticed her departure.

As the Admiral made her way towards her nephiew, Audrey passed by Amber and Tuvok playing Kalto. It was an interesting sight to see a Klingon playing a Vulcan game and being quite good at it. Then again, Amber was not the typical Klingon...

Tom was sitting near the stage, B'Elanna at his sides. Chakotay and Gwanna were sharing a short bench across from them, their back to the painted window. They laughed as Doctor Margo told them another one of her funny medical anecdote from across the table. Margo was a petite woman, but her voice was strong and could carry far. As Audrey got closer, she hoped to catch part of the story, but missed the punch line.

"So that is why I have not seen Patrick around," said Tom smiling. Something caught his attention as he looked upwards to the second floor. Discreetly, he excused himself.

As he arrived upstairs, Tom quickly found Dale leaning on the railing that overlooked the band and dance floor. He was an elegant man and every inch a charmer. He loved women and all those who visited his quarters were rumoured to never have regretted it. However, if Dale had been in the company of any other of Voyager's female crew member, Tom would have left them alone. He felt different when it came to Seven Of Nine. She had no idea what she was getting into and was even less ready to deal with someone like Dale Kinkade.

"Dale, a word in private," Tom said.

"Oh, Tommy Boy, don't you see I'm talking to a lady?" he pleaded in his most sensual, thick Irish accented voice.

"Seven, please go downstairs," Tom told her very seriously.

"Yes Tom," she said somewhat confused and took the stairs.

"Now, look what you've done!" Dale said angry. "I almost had her!"

"Listen carefully," Tom snapped. "Seven is off-limit. Got it?"

"Oh yeah, or what? L'tle Winter Boy's gonna kick my ass?"

The crowd of people standing around them suddenly fell quiet. No one was suppose to insult the Chosen Ones. Tom just stood there for a long moment. He was not going to lose his temper. He took several deep breaths and said low enough, for only Dale to hear:

"Or I could always transfer you to The See-Seas for the rest of this trip," Dale cringed. "It's either my way or Amber's. It's your choice."

"Fine. I'm taking my business elsewhere," he said storming down the stairs, ready to find a new companion for the night.

Despite the unfortunate argument with the other man, Tom allowed himself a grin. This was bringing old memories. Looking down to the main level, he saw friends and family having a good time. A contented smile lit up his face.

000

Tom and B'Elanna retired to his quarters at the end of the evening. It had been a great party. It had boosted the moral of both crews. The food had been excellent. The music had been great. Now, Tom was standing in his living room, gazing down proudly at a very important piece of paper, held into a picture frame.

Earlier in the evening, the band had took a break. Audrey had taken a hold of Tom's arm and had dragged him to, the stage.

"Word had been floating around that we had another special occasion to celebrate tonight," she had begin. "In fact, it is a recognition overdue for at least six years. I would like to invite Professor Semack to join us to the stage and make the honours."

Tom had exchanged a looked with Audrey. Could it had been what he thought it was? Assuredly, he had saw the Vulcan come up on the stage, holding in his hands a big picture frame. Suddenly, Tom had felt butterflies in his stomach and had started to fidget with anticipation.

"Asa Thomas," the older man had addressed him solemnly. "As Yanka University's representative, it is my honour and privilege, as it was when you obtained the title of Doctor in Astrophysics, to present to you this doctorate diploma as an acknowledgment of your achievement in the field of Criminology. Congratulations, Professor Asa Thomas Paris," he finished giving the recipient a hand shake.

The crowed applauded cheerfully as Tom took the picture frame, holding behind a glass a diploma printed in old fashion paper.

God, how he had wished that Loreena had been there to see his 'graduation'. Still, he had been no less happy to share the moment with B'Elanna, who was now putting the picture frame aside to have his full attention. She put her arms around his neck. Bending down slightly, he met her lips with his own. They kissed passionately.

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered.

"The past and about moving on," he told her vaguely. "I think that we'll make it."

"We?" she echoed, a knot forming in her throat.

Ever since he had fell sick, Tom had not considered himself to be among those who would come home.

"What do you mean by we," she asked more shakily than she intended.

He bit his lower lip. "I guess that, in the broad sense, I mean us in this crew." He gently kissed her forehead. "There's no me without you, B'Elanna. At least, I don't want it to be. I love you too much."

"And I love you even more," she assured him with a gorgeous smile and bright brown eyes. "You're my whole world, Asa Thomas. There's no me without you either. At least, I don't want it to be."

Tom smiled down at her. "I suppose we'll have to do something about that."

"Oh? And that would be?" she asked teasingly.

"Well, actually it's a procedure that usually starts with a proposal," he told her, knelling. Holding her hands in both of his, he looked up at her with shining bleu eyes. "Would you marry me, B'Elanna Torres?"

She responded with a beaming smile. "Yes. Yes, I will."

He pulled her down into a passionate kiss.

"I love you, Tom."

"Humm... say it again, just to be sure."

"I love you Asa Tomas Paris."

000

Walking on the flying deck of the Mist, Tom took several deep breaths. Three days ago, Margo had given him flying clearance. There was no trace of the disease in his body and he was once again at the top of his shape. For the first time in months, he felt really good. Everything was just right. The icing on the cake was that the Alpha Quadrant was a few short months away, and not several long decades.

Soon he would be reunited with his little girls. A smile tickled Tom's lips as the thought had crossed his mind.

"All systems clear. We are ready to go," Gwanna said from her post.

Tom took another deep breath. He cleared his mind of everything and fully opened himself to the 'currents' around him. Once ready, he activated the holographic flight
panel. This was the point of no return.

From ship to ship the message echoed: "Flight panel activated."

Everyone braced for entry into the Corridor.

Tom took one last deep breath and closed his eyes. He could feel the Corridor ahead of his ship. He could feel it like one standing beside a huge river, where misty wind currents hit the skin. Tom searched for several moments for an Entry Vector. He had to find one that went perpendicular to the others, leading inwards. It had to be large enough, and smooth enough to carry all ships. Finally, he found one. He opened his eyes and began to navigate the ships into the 'Current'.

"Here we go!" The pilot said as his hands danced over the panel projected before him. In response, it shone with a rainbow of coloured lights. "Transition in ... five...four... three... two...ONE!"

On his mark, the ships began to shake violently. It was as if it had stepped into a cyclone. The current was turbulent, pushing the ships from one side to the other. It took all the pilots' training and talent to keep all the ships from colliding with each other. That part, at least, was not Tom's job. His was to lead the way. It was up to the others to keep things together.

The transition hit Tom hard. However, his mind never wondered from the task at hand. He kept the ships in the calmest Current he had found. It still felt like the worst. It was almost as if wind driven freezing rain was hitting every part of his body. He could have sworn that each 'ice pellet" bruised his skin. The bruising was known to occur to some pilots, but it had never happened to him.

People were probably starting to feel the motion sickness at this point. At the back of his mind, Tom wondered how B'Elanna and those on Voyager were doing. Suddenly, he felt the first inter-layer approaching. Within seconds they would breach the Wall.

"Ending transition in... five... four... three... two... ONE!" The Chief pilot announced.

On cue, the ships ceased shaking. Costant gentled vibrations, typical of the Corridor could now be felt. Tom laid back against his chair. He left out the deep breath he had been holding for the last few seconds of the trip.

"Status," he whispered as his energy drained from his body. He hurt from head to toe as if he had crossed three upped inter-layers at once.

"This... This is impossible," he heard Gwanna choked with disbelief. "Semack?"

"What the hell just happened?" came Amber's voice over the comn channel.

"Conforming position," announced Semack. "Position: I01- OP450"

"I01?..." echoed Tom shakily. "Gwanna?"

"Everyone is in one piece," Gwanna reported. "All systems are within parameters. Janeway reports that Voyager held up better than planed. We made it, Asa! We're just not where we planned to be. We reached the very center in one step!"

Shouts of joy and amazement could be overheard on the speakers from every department. The only place they were louder was on the fight deck of the Mist.

"Asa! You did the impossible!" Gwanna said as she came around to the pilot's chair. She found him out cold. His skin color was the deep blue of a bruise, as if it covered his whole body.

"Oh My... Margo!" she yelled in panic over the comm. "We got to get Asa to the Medlab."

"I got him, Gwanna," the doctor said. Using the transporter s, she transfered Tom in a regeneration tank.

000
An hour later

"What happened?" Janeway asked the Mist's CMO.

It had taken Kathryn almost half an hour to recover from the motion sickness that had overcome her during the transition. It was not something she cared to experience again. The humiliation of not being able to stay at her post had been almost worse than the vomiting and dizziness that had assaulted her.

Upon her recovery, Kathryn had been informed that Tom had not taken the transition too well either. She had wanted to come over to the Mist at that very moment, but duty had kept her on Voyager. She was to take care of her own before seeing to the others. And somehow, Tom had become part of the other crew. The thought had sadden her.

Tom now laid in a large cylindrical tub of blueish 'goo' for a lack of a better term. There was a purplish halo all around his naked body. The diagnostic and monitoring systems were located in a critical position over the tub, preserving the patients dignity.

"Those who navigate the Corridor feel the changes of pressure a bit like we feel wind on our skin. Some times, the high pressures of the upper inter-layers squeeze the blood out of the capillaries at the surface of their skin, causing major bruising. As long as the formation of blood cloths are prevented and the blood is removed, the pilot recovers in a few hours. The regeneration tank accelerates the healing process. Thomas should be waking up in the next few minutes."

"It happens in the upper inter-layers," Janeway repeated. "And we reached the center on our first entry, no wonder Tom's body is so battered."

"I never seen anything like that before," Margo admitted. "Oh, I know some Elshans have very special abilities, but Tom never did something like that in pass."

"Those Elshans, are they the ones who disappears?" inquired the Captain.

"I'm afraid so," Margo replied sadly. "They are the most valued possession in the Corridor. Having such good pilots ensure manoeuvrability, hence power. Those special people are enslaved and exploited until their death." Shaking her head in a mix of sadness and dismay, Margo walked away.

Janeway remained silent, empathizing with the situation. She walked over to where Tom was laying. Thoughts of what he might have been through when he disappeared as a child sent shivers up her spine. She looked down at his still form. 'He looks dead' she thought. When she realized what had crossed her mind, she closed her eyes and chassed it away with a deep breath.

000

In the privacy of his quarter on the Mist, Tom faced Audrey, Semack, and Dominick.

"What happened?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" voiced Audrey.

"You know what I mean," he refuted angrily. "The kind of entry we did in the Corridor is not possible."

"Obviously it is, Asa," Semack said in pure logic.

"Semack," Tom warned. He was in no mood to humour the Vulcan at the moment. "I never been able to do something like that before. How come I can all the sudden?"

"The elements changed," Dominick answered. "You changed."

"The amino acid," said Tom.

Its removal was the only thing that could have changed him - his DNA. Well, maybe not quite considering all the damages chemotherapy had done to him in the last months. Still...

"We think so, yes," confirmed Audrey. "The Doctor, Margo, and I checked and rechecked all of your medical history. You're not born with it."

"Then, who gave it to me? Why?" Tom wanted to know.

"We don't know," Audrey replied. "But, we think it was to prevent you from doing what you just did. By the same token, to keep you from reaching Eltlys."

"You're not suggesting that I'm the real thing?" Tom asked with disbelieved.

"I believe we have been suggesting this possibility for a very long time, Asa," Semack reminded him.

Tom cursed under his breath. "Now, what?"

000

Tom corrected his heading for the umpteen time. He growled at himself with frustration. Ever since he had taken the helm of the Mist, two hours earlier, he had been struggling to maintain the Amnesty and Voyager in the present inter-layer. Now and again, he was realizing that his course was heading further down to the right. It felt as if he was drawn there like a magnet. For the life of him, he could not tell why.

With more resolved than ever, Tom did all he could to concentrate on his navigating. He did not notice the silent conversation that was taken place between Semack and Dominick behind him.

"Asa," came Semack's voice.

"I know, I know, concentrate," the pilot mumbled.

"Actually, Asa, I was about to suggest that you follow your instincts," said the Vulcan.

"My instincts, Semack?" Tom challenged.

"Yes. Trust yourself again," his old friend replied.

Trust himself again. It was easier said than done. It had been so long since Tom had navigated the Corridor. It was as exhilarating as he remembered it to be, but somehow it was also different. Tom felt like he knew where he was going, however he kept on making stupid errors.

"You don't think that I'm making errors, do you Semack?"

"In light of your recent new abilities, the possibility that you might be making unconscious accurate corrections to our original fight plan has indeed occurred to me."

Trust his instincts, Tom thought agaim. He was known to have good ones. They had rarely left him down before. Why not call upon them, here and now?

"Trust my instincts," he said at loud. "Let's see where they can lead us."

Dominick nodded in agreement.

000

Tom rolled on his back. No matter how hard he tried, he could not sleep, nor could he ignore the constant ringing sound in his ears. It had started a few days before. The pilot had not given too much thought to it until now. He had first believed it as being another one of the Corridor's side effects. Now, as he laid in bed in the dark, B'Elanna sound asleep by his side, his attention had nothing else to focus upon.

As he allowed himself to listen, he realized that the sound was not continuous and there were different pitches. Was he hearing different sounds? Has he concentrated harder, he felt the sounds to be familiar somehow. There were not like the type of sounds that one would hear on a starship. They were too high pitched. There were more like the sounds one would here in a forests. Sounds of the wind playing in the leaves and of bird singing.

Could he be hearing sounds from the Winter Garden? Until Chakotay had found his way there, Tom had never thought of the place as more then a fabrication of his imagination. Could he now be able to go there suddenly as his Spiritual friend could?

Tom sighed heavily as he was forced to admit that a lot had changed about himself - within himself. With the amino acid gone, he seemed to be able to do things that he had never been able to accomplish before. Things that only the Children of Eltlys were rumoured to be able to do.

Back on Part-Ayalexis, he had dedicated most of his work at the Silver-Seas Foundation to the search for those special children, inside and outside the Corridor. He was not the only one to look for them. Unfortunately, his work had often begun with the disappearance of a child or the discovery of a tragic death.

A knot formed in his throat and he felt a tear rolled down his cheek as old and horrific memories of little lifeless corpses filled his mind. As Tom had done many times before, he tried to push the images away thinking of Sayana and Solenn, playing and laughing in the family backyard.

He was missing them so terribly.

Tom shifted uncomfortably. This line of thought was doing nothing to bring him peace of mind. On the contrary.

If he was the real thing, a Child of Eltlys - as his kidnappers had believed when he was four, and as Audrey, Semack, and Dominick also considered a possibility - then what about Solenn? What about his mother? Frustrated, Tom got out of bed and walked around. If only he could shut out those voices in his mind!

000

The chime of the door woke Chakotay up. He groaned in annoyance. In a soft voice, he told the woman laying next to him to go back to sleep. He passed on a robe. Once in the living area, he called for half light, then invited his visitor to come in. He was surprised and concerned by the appearance of his visitors. "Tom, B'Elanna, is everything all right?"

The younger man nodded. "I'm sorry, Chakotay. I know it's late, but I need to talk to Be, Gwanna, and you."

Chakotay smiled, assuring Tom that they were welcome anytime. "I'll go wake Gwanna. Make yourselves at ease."

He went to the bedroom and came back moment later with a still sleepy Gwanna. Tom had taken the liberty to replicate some coffee for all off them.

"Asa, you're okay?" Gwanna inquired, worried.

"I'm not sure," he answered, giving her a cup of coffee. "I need to talk and you're the ones I feel the closest to." He sighed again. "And, if I bring this to the others, they'll just think that I'm overreacting."

"What's on your mind?" Chakotay encouraged him.

"Do you still visit the Winter Garden?" Tom asked. He seemed apprehensive as he waited for the answer.

"Yes, I do," the Native American replied. "Not always on purpose."

Tom smiled sympathetically. "How are things there?"

"Quite nice," Chakotay assured him. "Asa and I are bonding more and more each visit. He still doesn't talk to me, but I feel that it will come in time. As for the Winter Garden itself, it's more like a Spring day. The leaves in the trees are of a tender green. There are flowers growing along the path and around the pond. The sun is warm. Sometimes, I can even hear birds signing."

"I don't think that they're birds," Tom said. He bit his lower lip. "I'm hearing voices - children voices. I can't make out what they're saying. They are too far away. But, I'm sure it's there. It's familiar and it scares me."

"Did it began when we entered in the Corridor?" Gwanna wondered.

"Not quite. It started a few days ago. At first, I thought it was my ears ringing, like some sort of tanitus or something. But now, I'm pretty sure I'm hearing voices."

"Tom, you have been under a lot of stress lately," Chakotay pointed out. "Could being back into the Corridor bring back old memories of your kidnapping. You did say that you had been in the Corridor at the time."

"Maybe, I don't know," Tom said.

"Any idea yet on who might have put the amino acid in your system?" asked Gwanna.

"Could be a number of people," Tom said, allowing a sarcastic smile.

"You never really told us what happened when you were four," Chakotay reminded him.

"True," Tom granted. He took a sip of coffee before going on.

"Well, I was kidnapped in Port-Ayalexis by the members of a Kimirian radical movement. They wanted to put pressure on my dad so that would influence Starfleet in supporting their actions during the war with Irsia. You know as well as I do that Starfleet doesn't negotiate over hostages that even over the life of a child. Apparently, they were about to execute me when an Elshan came along. He either bought me or kidnapped me from my kidnapers. He brought me into the Corridor. I don't remember much about what happened there. I have flashes and nightmares, and other kinds of odd feelings. What I know is that two months later, I ended up with Lahuma. She brought me home."

They fell silent for a moment, enjoying their coffee. Then, Chakotay brought back the issue of the mysterious amino acid.

"The way things are turning into in the Winter Garden," he began. "I believe that the removal of the amino acid was for the best. It freed Asa from the pond."

"I'm not so sure, Chakotay," Tom disagreed. "I don't think it was meant to be. I made some research on the genetic background of Hao, Lassa, Gwanna, me, and a few others that were kidnapped by the Elshans. We already know that we're all half Kimiran, but the ones that are never found are the ones like me. Those who are born without the amino acid." Tom paused. "I think that Audrey, Semack, and Dominick are right. it was given to me in order to protect me from something or prevent me from reaching Eltlys."

"Eltlys?" asked B'Elanna.

"The Secret Path," answered Gwanna.

000

Following Tom's request, Chakotay returned to the Winter Garden upon morning.

The hot dry air blew in his face. The suddenly bright surrounding blinded him for a moment. Spirits! How could it be so hot? Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, Chakotay was finally able to take in his environment.

It was a mid-summer day!

The trees were filled with emerald green leaves. Flowers beds were surrounding the paved walkway. The pond was crystal blue. It's surface was disturbed now and then by the rocks that Asa was throwing into the water.

"Asa," he called.

Eyes as blue as the sky looked up his way. A huge smile crept upon the child's face. Forgetting his play, Asa jumped on his feet and ran towards Chakotay as fast as he could, the cat and the wolf in tow.

"You're back!" the little boy said enthusiastically.

Chakotay bent down, arms opened, and scooped Asa into his arms. "Yes, sorry it took so long. I missed you," replied Chakotay, returning the child smile.

He could hardly contain his joy at hearing Asa say something for the first time. A tear ran down his cheek.

"Why are you crying?" asked Asa, taken aback.

"Because I'm very happy. I'm happy to hear you're voice, Asa."

"Oh," said the boy, not quite understanding Chakotay's answer.

"Everything is all right," Chakotay told him with a reassuring smile.

Asa laid his little blond head on Chakotay's shoulder. The adult cuddled the child against himself, lovingly stoking his back. Like this, Chakotay walked around the pond. Again, he could hear birds, well sort of. With the wind playing through the leaves, it was hard to tell if there were birds or not. He carefully scrutinized the threes. He could not see any birds. He ventured into the edge of the forest. There he could not even hear the birds anymore. Maybe Tom was right. Maybe what they were both hearing were not birds. He walked to the bench by the pond. There, he could hear the sounds again.

"Asa," he said softly. The youngster looked up at him. "Do you hear other people than me talking?"

Asa nodded several times. His expression sobered.

"Are you afraid of them?"

Again, the child nodded.

"Why are you afraid of them?" Chakotay wondered.

"They hurt my friends," Asa told him sadly.

"Your friends?" he echoed, surprised. "Where are they?"

Asa pointed in the direction of the path leading away from the Winter Garden.

000

End of part A

We know that we kept all of you waiting for a very long time. We are very sorry about that.

Big THANKS to DANIELLE for Beta reading.

We hope that you liked the first part of Secret Pawn. Part B will eventually follow :).

Thank you for reading.

Synbou (a.k.a. Isabelle S. And Louise B.)

Jully 2001