Part Two

All Hallows Eve
2145

A freezing mist clung low to the ground, dragging its fingers over the cracked gravestones that lurked within the shadow of the crumbling cathedral. Like a child clutching on to its mothers skirts, the icy tendrils attached themselves to the lower extremities of the two lost souls, currently to be found trudging across the vast expanse of the graveyard.

The taller of the two paused, her gaze drawn upwards by the soft beating of feathers against the night air. The child by her side gasped, tightening her grip on the woman's hand as the shadows parted to admit the dark silhouette of a great bird. On silent wings it swooped low over the ground, dispersing the mist into swirling eddies as it closed in on its hapless prey. Then, as silently as it had arrived it melted back into the night, its prize dangling from its razor sharp talons.

'I fail to see the recreational significance of …'

'Shhhh, Seven. I can hear music…'

As if on cue, a tremulous note rang out. Hanging in the air it drew their eyes to the ruined façade that dominated the scene. There, hanging suspended in the gaping hole that had once been filled by a vast stained glass window, was a strange light. Flickering in time to the music, it drew them into the shadows like a moth to a flame.

A strange feeling settled over the ex-borg. The temperature had remained constant during their time on the holodeck, yet she found herself shivering. She might even have considered terminating the experience had it not been for the death grip Naomi had on her hand.

'Further exploration is unadvisable without …'

She never got to finish her sentence. Naomi, her face alive with delight took off towards the source of the light, her unwilling companion dragged in her wake.

The uneven ground, hidden beneath its restless blanket of white did its best to impede their progress. Disintegrating gravestones lay shattered in their path, providing shelter to a multitude of faceless creatures that scuttled out of sight as they passed by.

The music lured them ever onwards, joined now by the unmistakable sound of dancing feet. Somewhere a fire crackled, sending sparks into the night and shivers down Naomi's spine.

They had almost reached the outer wall when the smell hit them…a foul stench that instantly brought to mind images of rotting leola root. Without warning the ground beneath their feet trembled, exploding upwards as the undead rose to claim their prize.

From out of the mist a severed hand, its mangled tendons dragging in its wake grabbed Naomi's ankle. Pulling her to the ground, the mist closed over her small body with greedy delight.

A child's scream echoed in the night…hanging in the air for a moment before dissolving into a fit of giggles as the hand proceeded to tickle her without mercy…

All Hallows Eve
2345

'And another one bites the dust.'

Tom drained the last drop of blood red liquid from his glass, his eyes dancing as he notched up his 47th scream of the evening. At least he thought it was 47. He'd stopped counting after the Captain had succumbed to the 'curse of the hand' with a bloodcurdling yell that could be heard in the bowels of the ship.

After that he'd concentrated on making himself as scarce as possible, which was quite an achievement for a man with a bat'leth embedded in his skull. He knew he should never have allowed B'Elanna to select his costume for him.

He was about to brave the Captain's wrath and go in search of a refill for his glass when a zombie stumbled past him, a tray of themed party food in one hand and a jug of something loosely described as 'battery acid' in the other.

'Ohh…flame grilled fingers…just what I always wanted.'

'Have you tried them with the blood sauce? Neelix assured me that it comes in a variety of flavours. He was particularly keen on the O negative variant but it's a little bland for my taste. My personal favourite is the AB…really packs a punch!'

B'Elanna settled her broomstick against the wall, her features unrecognisable under the wart ridden mass of green gunge that had been applied to every inch of skin not covered by the shapeless black sack of a dress she wore. Contact lenses turned her eyes a fiery red, while blackened nails sharpened to lethal points completed the look.

Grinning affectionately at her partner she leant over, reaching out with a nail to spear an eyeball from the tray of a passing werewolf.

'Have you seen Harry?'

Tom dragged his gaze away from the hag at his side to scan the crowded ballroom. Voyager was running with a skeleton crew tonight.

Literally.

Those lucky enough to have the evening off were to be found wandering between the various holodecks, indulging their taste for terror in a selection of bloodcurdling holoprograms.

'Hmm…' B'Elanna looked up from the plate of ghoulash Neelix had pushed into her hands, to point in the direction of a nearby group of revelers.

'Third on the right. The headless horseman…minus his horse!'

'You mean the one standing next to the virgin sacrifice.'

A wicked grin lit up B'Elanna's face as she watched the white robed woman flirt outrageously with the blushing horseman.

'Poor Harry…Megan will eat him alive.'

Tom was giving serious thought to rescuing his friend when the Captain drifted by, her arm hooked comfortably around her escort for the evening. Dressed from head to toe in clinging black velvet, she was everything a respectable vampire should be. Skin as pale as alabaster…teeth rapier sharp, with a tell-tale dribble of blood that ran down from the corner of her mouth.

Chakotay's pallor matched that of the woman on his arm; the blood pouring from the fresh bite marks in his neck contrasting nicely with the light coloured tunic and trousers he had chosen for the occasion.

'Looks like Harry's not the only person who bit off more than he could chew.'

All Hallows Eve
2357

'Captain! Commander!'

Neelix burst out from a concealed passageway, his pumpkin costume impeding his progress by virtue of its sheer size. Smiling warmly at the little talaxian Kathryn moved forward to relieve him of one of the trays he was carrying. A quick glance down at its contents had her opting for a liquid diet.

'Please Captain…could I interest you in a glass of blood wine, or perhaps a little snack. I've called this one 'roasted rack of ensign.'

Bursting with pride he held the tray out for inspection, leaving Kathryn hard pushed to find an excuse that wouldn't offend him. Her companion was worse than useless, his eyes dancing as he watched her struggle with her words. Finally taking pity on her he leant forward and captured one of the glasses that teetered near the edge of the tray.

'Thanks for the offer Neelix…but as you can see she's already eaten.' With his free hand he used a stray napkin to mop up the last dribble of 'blood' from his neck, tucking the bloodstained cloth into the waistband of his trousers for added effect. 'I'm sure she wouldn't say no to a drop of wine though.'

Kathryn's fingers were on the point of curling around the delicate stem of the glass when she felt the ship shudder beneath her feet. Icy fingers ran up her spine, chilling her to the bone. The glass slipped through her unresponsive fingers, shattering on the stone floor. Chakotay cursed silently as he felt her stiffen in his arms. Little by little he watched the worry he'd worked so hard to dispel come creeping back.

'Relax Kathryn, its probably just a little turbulence. Tuvok would have notified us if there was anything to be concerned about.'

She opened her mouth to speak but he launched a pre-emptive strike and stole a kiss, his lips capturing hers with a familiarity that had onlookers sighing in appreciation.

When he finally released her it was to find that they were alone, their audience having melted discretely into the background. She was still tense, her fingers digging into his arms but the worry had disappeared from her eyes. What he saw in its place set his heart racing.

'Better?'

'I will be once I have that wine you promised me.'

Kathryn changed her grip, tucking her arm under his as she sipped at the wine. She fought against … and defeated the urge to check in with Tuvok, aware that to do so could be interpreted in some quarters as a lack of faith in his abilities. Instead she concentrated on controlling the blush that was creeping up her body, dispelling the strange chill that had taken hold of her.

The wine settled on her tongue with surprising potency, earning her companion a questioning glance.

'Are you trying to get me drunk, Chakotay?'

'Kathryn…you wound me. The thought never entered my mind.'

'Hmmm, this is synthenol…isn't it?'

'Would I lie to you…'

All Hallows Eve
2400

Forgotten in the excitement of the party, the cube lay abandoned on the table in Harry's quarters. Lost in the darkness it sat patiently, counting down the seconds until the portal would open, spewing its contents on an unsuspecting world.

As if on cue, the dial began to glow. Barely discernible at first, the light slowly increased until the disc melted under its ferocity. Freed from confinement the molten liquid ran off into the multitude of grooves engraved into each of the cube's faces.

A sudden click reverberated around the room, sending shock waves spreading out like ripples in a pond…