There was general surprise from everyone around the table as the Doctor made his brief report. Well, surprise from everyone but the three most senior officers. Tom Paris didn't say anything but he's gotten pretty good at reading Tuvok over the last few months so he knew something was up. One glance at Chakotay and he could tell that the three of them were all in on it together and the Doctor was their scape goat. Paris sat silently but he was in sick bay when B'Elanna was beamed in. The others were walking wounded so he attended to them efficiently and released them within a matter of minutes. He knew that B'Elanna was refusing medical treatment and that the captain waited for her to loose consciousness and then ordered the Doctor to use any means necessary to save her. The Doctor was going on about Klingon beliefs ranking up there with Vulcan witch doctoring and tea leaves.
He said nothing, but he saw the look on B'Elanna's face when she regained consciousness and realized what was done. The captain and the Doctor were both trying to explain the situation but she shut down. She didn't want to hear anything they had to say as soon as she realized they did not honor her wishes. Paris also heard enough to understand that the captain was trying to question her about something she said earlier but she wouldn't talk. Something that had to do with her honor and having to return to the Barge of the Dead. Tom Paris didn't know B'Elanna well but he knew her long enough to know she didn't use the word lightly. Chakotay entered shortly after she left and his reaction to the Doctor's report made Tom suspect that he had some kind of understanding of what B'Elanna experienced and that he did not approve of the Doctor's actions even if he didn't voice it. Now she is on medical leave.
Paris was also on the bridge when Chakotay meet with the captain for some time then rushed to the turbo lift. He saw Tuvok enter about ½ later and noticed the way he left quickly after staying in there almost as long as Chakotay did. All his instincts screamed that something was definitely up and that neither of them were pleased with Captain Janeway or the Doctor. That was more than enough to put him on alert. Tuvok and Chakotay never agreed on anything!
The captain assigned Seven to help out in Engineering but was clear that no major changes or upgrades should be instituted unless it was an emergency. Seven merely nodded but she felt that was the captain's way of encouraging Lt. Torres' inefficient means of running her department. Neelix was immediately informed that Lt. Torres would not be in need of any "moralling" or care during her recovery. He was a bit put out but decided that after she returned to duty he'd devote a little extra time to her. Harry Kim was plain old concerned for his friend and hoped she'd be alright.
When the two weeks ended, B'Elanna returned to Engineering without a word or comment to anyone. She did not know she was supposed to check in with the Doctor first because she had no clue that her personal leave was changed to medical leave. It didn't matter. After the captain's strong arming, the Doctor was content to be left out of it and didn't say a word. Her staff was concerned about her the entire time. Everyone knew she hated sick bay and hated time away from Engineering. They all firmly believed she had no knowledge that Seven helped out during her absence because they were all certain that knowledge would have forced her from her sick bed. Little did they know B'Elanna Torres didn't have a bed anymore.
B'Elanna replicated a simple pallet and a pillow while she was putting all her other items together. After 2 weeks of sleeping on the pallet, she decided that it was much more agreeable than the bed and saw no need to change that. Plus, she liked having the additional replicator rations in reserve. She also secured two large pillows. One she would sit on while working since she wasn't going to return the couch, chairs or desk. The other she would use for meditation should the mood ever strike her. She supposed that it was only polite to offer one to a guest should she ever have company. That wasn't going to be a problem as Chakotay and Harry Kim were the only two people to ever enter her quarters.
That made her stop and think for a few minutes.
"185 people on board this ship. We've been in the Delta quadrant for over three years and only two people have ever dropped by."
She mused while overseeing a complete diagnostic of all Engineering systems on her return. They all saw that one coming and prepared themselves a few days in advance. The Chief might have been ill and even managed to stay away during her recovery, but she would check every single piece of equipment and system as soon as she returned just to make sure nothing was out of place. For the most part, everything was in order. With the exception of passing out assignments, answering a few questions here and there, and stopping by to check in with each team, she said little throughout the entire shift. They did notice that she took a short break at exactly 11:58 and returned at 12:17. No one asked and it really didn't seem like a big deal. But, when she didn't stop for lunch, Nicolette wondered if the Chief actually thought those 19 minutes qualified as a lunch break. Smart enough not to stick her hand in the lion's mouth, she didn't say a word.
As the weeks went by, many people on Voyager started to notice subtle and not so subtle changes in a few of their senior officers. Vorik and Nicolette both saw a pattern to B'Elanna's day. She arrived at the same time as usual, continued to run a tight ship and remained several hours into Beta shift as she had for years but they both noted differences. Everyday for the past 6 weeks she took a break at 11:58 and returned at 12:17 unless there was a crisis. That was strange but not so strange compared to the one or two other difference. She was much quieter. Oh, she would still holler across that catwalk when she needed. But she wasn't hollering. She didn't loose her temper once. Normally, this type of behavior is preferred in a boss. But after 3 years, they did not know what to make of the change. Instead of creating a relaxed atmosphere, it made a few people edgy and nervous that she was planning something as soon as they got too comfortable.
When Seven waltzed into Engineering two months later, everybody thought that was going to be the one thing to set things back to normal. They were...surprised.
"Lt. Torres, Captain Janeway ordered me to assist in Engineering today while you all realign the warp core and replace the gel packs in the forward nacelles."
Seven really did not want to hear the explosion that was sure to follow but waited nonetheless. B'Elanna was making some last minute changes in assignments when Seven arrived and hadn't looked up from her work station while she spoke. Uncharacteristically, B'Elanna looked up and nodded to Seven then glanced around briefly searching for something. Finally she turned back to Seven and handed her a data pad.
"This is the repair schedule at present. I'm still making a few adjustments so you have a choice. Would you prefer to stay here and monitor the progress or do you mind crawling through Jeffries tubes?"
It was a draw as to who was more stunned by those words. Everyone listened carefully while keeping one eye on the two women as they worked, certain that this would be the thing to set the chief off. Seven stood there staring at B'Elanna wondering where the hidden insult was. She briefly considered she was simply being set up but couldn't find anything in her words. Seven didn't know how to respond still supposing B'Elanna's attitude to be a trick. For her part, B'Elanna just stood there waiting. Finally deciding it best to flush her out,
"I have no preference. Which ever you decide."
"Ok, I planned to head up to the nacelles since Harry and I have already worked out our system of relaying information back and forth from the bridge. We're keeping an open com link. Make sure that you are patched in as well so that you can make adjustments down here."
Then she turned and picked up another pad, passing it to Seven without thinking.
"I want to test the warp core last. Can you stay longer than Alpha shift if needed?"
Still shocked, "Yes."
"Fine. You can work from my station. Make a back up of the sensor logs and download it to a pad for me. I want to review our progress later. Thanks."
Then she turned to the group ready to pass out the finalized work schedule and assignments,
"Ok folks, step up and grab em while they're hot. Let's have nothing but assess and elbows for the next 8 hours. Vorik, you're with me."
Then she grabbed a tool kit, several gel packs, a utility belt and left. No one knew what that was all about and no one wanted to think too much on why it happened.
Captain Janeway sat on the bridge awaiting the explosive hail from one or both ladies but nothing came. She was sure Seven made it to Engineering by now. It wasn't that she was usurping B'Elanna's authority, she made the assignment because she felt that it would be best to have both of them working on the testing and upgrades. Janeway glanced at Chakotay after 15 minutes,
"You don't think they killed each other and the crew wasn't able to alert security?"
He noticed some major changes in B'Elanna over the past couple of months that seemed very positive but he had no illusions when it came to Seven. He didn't know what she did locked away in her quarters for 2 weeks but was pretty sure it didn't include Borg sensitivity training.
"No. The crew has a system worked out for just that possibility. They would have contacted security at first blood."
"Funny."
"I was serious."
"Oh. Well, what do you think is taking so long?"
"Haven't a clue."
"Torres to Bridge."
Janeway tossed Chakotay a look that said, 'here we go' then responded,
"Bridge."
"Hi captain. Harry, we're ready to start."
Everyone on the bridge sort of glances around because they heard the captain and Chakotay talking. Harry doesn't miss a beat.
"Hey B'Elanna. What's your position?"
"Junction 42A. I'm at 13."
"Standby." He sets those coordinates then responds,
"Ready when you are."
"Ok. Seven are you getting this?"
"Yes, we are ready. You may proceed."
"Fine, let's do it."
Nobody on the bridge really knows what's going on. Harry has better clue because he can see that Seven is logged in at B'Elanna's station. He isn't sure what that's all about but since B'Elanna doesn't seem to mind and is in a good mood, he doesn't care. Janeway just looked at Chakotay then leans in and whispers,
"What's going on?"
"I haven't a clue." And, he didn't. The captain couldn't let it go at that. Plus, B'Elanna shouldn't be working alone so she breaks in for a moment.
"B'Elanna, you aren't up there alone are you? And where is Seven?"
"Seven is coordinating things from main Engineering. Vorik is with me."
Captain Janeway had many questions after getting that bit of news but wasn't about to ask anything over the com link. Everyone seemed to be getting along so she wouldn't pry but it was still strange.
At 11:42 B'Elanna got an update from Harry on the last gel pack she and Vorik installed then responded.
"Ok, let's take a break. We'll resume at 12:30 if no one minds."
No one minded because everything was going according to schedule. No one outside of B'Elanna's crew had the slightest idea why she was calling for a break that early. It wasn't like her at all. Normally, the captain would have to insist that she stop working. At first they figured it was her lunch break but that didn't make any sense. As far up in the nacelles as they were, it would take 15 minutes to get out unless she initiated a site to site transport. But, that wasn't an option since she took transporters off line. Everyone in main Engineering knew why she called for a break they just didn't know what she was going to do. At exactly 12:30, B'Elanna hailed the bridge for an all clear to resume. Harry worked in Engineering several times over the last few months and knew she always took a 19 minute break at the same time each shift he was there. He didn't say anything the first few times but when it looked like a regular thing he quietly asked Nicolette.
"Your guess is as good as mine, or ours because we don't know. She's done that everyday for months since she returned from sick leave."
Concerned that it had something to do with her illness, he didn't say anything because he didn't want to put her on the spot. When preparing for the test, Harry anticipated that she'd do something like this. He was quick to respond because he wanted to cut off all speculation from the bridge crew, including the captain. It was obvious by her surprise that she didn't have a clue. Tuvok had his own suspicions. He had 'reports' of her precise movements and was all but certain of what she was doing. He, characteristically, said nothing.
"Alright B'Elanna, I'm ready when you are."
"Good. Seven, all clear?"
"We are ready." She too, was curious about the timing of the break and the fact that the Lt. asked for one. That was not normal behavior for her but she did not voice her questions. Knowing their exact location, she calculated that it would take ½ hour for B'Elanna to travel to and from that section of the ship. Finally, she considered that it was merely a bathroom break and that B'Elanna, too, had calculated the amount of time she would need.
Two months before B'Elanna's injury and sick leave, Tuvok was not pleased to learn that his security training holo program was altered by Lt. Paris some time during their first year in the Delta quadrant. Nor was he pleased to learn most of the crew secretly treated it as a holo novel for entertainment purposes over the past three years. Nevertheless, he sat silently during the staff meeting as the captain praised him for the work and commented that she enjoyed it just as much as the others.
"Captain, it was not intended for recreation purposes. I was merely preparing security for certain possibilities that might have arisen as a result of integrating the former Maquis members into Voyager's crew."
Chakotay didn't like that at all but he had to concede the wisdom behind Tuvok's actions from a security perspective. Silently, he wished his crew had prepared for something like that so they could have weeded out all the various Federation and Cardassian spies within their organization.
While Tuvok was as dismayed as a Vulcan could be by the crew's response, he had to admit that he was impressed with Lt. Paris' skill as a holo programer. His attention to detail was impeccable. Everything down to the smell of a plant or the exact taste of a beverage was perfect. When he commented on this, he wished he hadn't considering the captain's response.
"Well, that settles it gentlemen. Between Tuvok's creative mind at coming up with scenarios and Tom's programming abilities, I think we have a winning team. I, for one, can't wait to see what you two come up with next."
The look she gave them both indicated that it was a closed subject and they ought to get to it. Tuvok was dangerously close to internally sighing as the others started making suggestions for the next program. He said nothing and endured it with Vulcan stoicism while mentally calculating the precise amount of additional meditation time he would need to assimilate the oddities in human behavior that evening.
Tom didn't really say anything. When he first found the program he didn't really have much to do on board. It was during their second week in the Delta quadrant and he didn't have any friends. He was also trying to keep a low profile and stay away from the newly arrived Maquis members who all wanted his head on the block. He and Harry hadn't become friends yet and the day was pretty long and boring after his 8 hour shift on the bridge. That was one of the reasons he spent so much time in the holo deck or working on programs in his quarters. It filled in the time. Sandrines was his prize accomplishment and he was glad that the rest of the crew enjoyed it. That sort of took the heat off of him for awhile.
Well, until the captain pulled him aside and guilt tripped him into becoming the Cazon spy in order to flush out the Voyager spy. He had to lie to everyone, act like the screw up and jerk that he tried hard to make people forget he was and just generally be a pain in the ass. The only person on board who seemed the least bit concerned for him was Harry. Actually, Harry went out of his way to try to be there for him and it tore Tom up inside to play his part. Apparently, he did an Oscar winning performance because two years later people still remembered. All it did was stir up old resentment with the Maquis crew, especially those on the lower decks. Now, they really weren't sure if he was putting on an act or if he really would have thrown in with the winning side. His biggest problem was Chakotay. The things he had to say to him cut deep while reopening wounds that hadn't healed. It took a long time for Chakotay to get over his resentment that Tom betrayed them in order to get out of prison.
No matter what the captain said to him at the time, Chakotay wouldn't believe Tom Paris hadn't sold them out. It took Seska taunting him that she tipped off Starfleet to Tom's Maquis cargo run, leading to his arrest and imprisonment, to cause him to ease up just a bit. Unfortunately, his part in the undercover mission broke all the trust they'd managed to build up between them over that first year or so on board. Everyone thought Tom Paris was an over privileged screw up who got by because his father was Admiral Paris. They didn't know the half of it. They didn't know what a crappy father he was and they didn't know what a crappy life he had. They didn't know that the Admiral didn't bother to show up at his son's trial or that he made it clear Tom Paris was no son of his and should get the maximum penalty. That was why he ended up in Auckland penal colony after his short lived Maquis career.
Caldik Prime ruined his Starfleet career before it even got started but people weren't interested in the details of what really happened. He never shared them and he never discussed it. What was he supposed to say? He lied. Well, technically he didn't correct Starfleet academy investigators when they came up with their own conclusions of how the accident occurred. The investigation was completed while he was in a coma and after he woke up they handed him their findings for him to sign off on. He read it and knew it wasn't the truth. Red Squad was in an area executing a move they weren't supposed to be doing because it was banned by Starfleet for the very reason it failed. All of them died except Tom Paris and that was a testament to his skill as a pilot even during his academy days. He executed his movements perfectly but he still crash landed and those on board his shuttle died. The others did not fly as well as he did and several of them ended up getting caught in each other's "jet wash" before spinning out of control and burning up in the planet's atmosphere.
On occasion former Maquis members and even Chakotay would throw the Caldik Prime incident in his face. Accusing him of getting his teammates killed then waltzing away scot free. It didn't work like that. He didn't consider any of what he was forced to live with as getting away with anything. The nightmares came like clock work every night and he relived the incident on a daily basis. He still had nightmares of mangled corpses that used to be his friends. They were his constant companions but he never said a word. No one seemed to remember that the only reason the truth came to light is because HE confessed. Yeah, it was after graduation and after he was assigned to the Enterprise, a posting he did not want but his father pulled strings and had him assigned without his knowledge or consent. The Board of Inquiry wasn't interested in the fact that he confessed to something that he had gotten away with for no other reason than it weighed heavily on his conscience. He was reprimanded, subject to disciplinary action and pretty much marked for life in Starfleet. He didn't last long after that.
But even after being drummed out of Starfleet with no career options he had a chance to cut a deal and get a lighter sentence if he informed on the Maquis he didn't. He took it like a man. Or a condemned man, that is. So when Captain Janeway showed up offering him a chance to pilot Voyager on their mission to the Badlands to flush out his old comrades, he took the offer seriously. He knew they moved around a lot. He knew they knew he was arrested and imprisoned. They had to think he'd roll over on them. It had been an entire year, and he was new to their organization so it wasn't like he knew any sensitive information. Paris was certain that he couldn't give them anything. His one mistake was trying to ride the fence. He figured he could get out of prison for that one mission and have an opportunity to fly a star ship, something he knew he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of ever doing again, while not lying to Captain Janeway or betraying the Maquis. His plan was to fly around in circles. How was he supposed to know Chakotay would still be there or that they'd get snatched up by that crazy Caretaker and whisked off to the Delta quadrant. He didn't even think Seven would have calculated the probability of that outcome as more than nil.
Paris knew the captain made him that offer out of some misguided loyalty to her mentor. Paris could never understand how he treated his son worse than dirt his entire life but doted on Katherine Janeway from their first meeting. She was his protegee and the epitome of what he expected in a Starfleet cadet and later as an officer. She thought the sun rose and set by Eugene Paris. A mutual admiration society that caused Tom to suffer from eye strain on more than one occasion from rolling them too much. Nevertheless, she was always nice to him as a kid and when she was around, his father wasn't so...himself. That, alone, scored her major points in his book.
So, when she came to him and proposed dragging him into her latest madness he could not refuse. He owed her his life. No one else wanted to be in the Delta quadrant except him. He had nothing waiting for him back in the Alpha quadrant except a scarlet O for outcast. Here, he got to do the one thing he loved and never thought he'd ever get to do again, fly a Federation star ship on a daily basis. For that, he'd put up with the crap from others of the crew. Or so he thought. He agreed because he couldn't refuse her anything. He begged her to tell Chakotay but she was firm that only Tuvok would know of the plan. Two years later he was still dealing with the fall out. Chakotay couldn't be mad at the captain and it was a waste of time to be mad at Tuvok who wouldn't even notice. That left Tom and he more than made up for his inability to punish the other two.
Working with Tuvok was...fun. That was not something he would have ever considered a possibility from spending time with a Vulcan but it was the truth. Vulcans don't judge. That's somehow connected to emotions, he supposes, because Tuvok didn't seem interested in dwelling on his past mistakes. He listened to his suggestions and was never disparaging when he did not think something would work. The other reason that he preferred time with Tuvok is that it wasn't emotionally charged. He didn't have to be "on" during their work sessions so he could just be Tom. He didn't get the impression that Tuvok was waiting for him to screw up or fail because that would have been illogical and unproductive. That caused him to let down his guard and drop the facade of 'good time Paris, golden boy' at the door. Until then, he hadn't realized how much of an emotional strain the act put on him. And, he hadn't realized how much he wanted to be done with it. That's why he sort of encouraged Tuvok to come up with more than one program even if they wouldn't release them all at once. The time they spent together took the edge off of the time he spent elsewhere on the ship and gave him a legitimate excuse not to be what everyone else expected.
Tuvok really hadn't worked with Mr. Paris at all and was not looking forward to it. It did not take long once they were behind closed doors in Tuvok's quarters to realize that the public face of Tom Paris was quite different from the private one. No one could question his skill as a pilot and it seemed to be his only redeeming quality at first glance. Tom Paris had gotten them out of near misses and certain death or capture on numerous occasions with maneuvers that weren't in Starfleet's pilot training manual. Tactical and the helm need to be in sync during combat maneuvers. The ship had to be in place for weapons to hit their target and it had to be out of the way to escape becoming a target. It took some time but they both began to anticipate each other. Truthfully, there wasn't much for the captain to do during those situations because she trusted both of them. She could see that they'd found their grove after some time and they always seemed to keep the ship moving and out of harms way while B'Elanna made sure that Voyager stayed in one piece and warp drive stayed on line long enough for them to get out of danger.
It was during their time working together that he sensed there was much more to the man who seemed shallow and transparent initially. Tuvok was not blind. He might not be emotional but that did not mean he could not see or appreciate how they affected others. The secret mission was necessary and critical for Voyager's survival. Tom Paris was the most likely and believable candidate for a traitor so his selection was logical. That didn't mean that Tuvok couldn't see what the experience might cost him on a personal level. He watched Paris' interaction with the captain from the moment he returned to the ship after their arrival in the Delta quadrant. While initially distrustful of his actions, he could see that Paris' loyalty was to Captain Janeway first and that it was unwavering. That also made him the logical selection. Tuvok was certain that he would agree to the plan if he were approached from a personal perspective rather than given an order. To date, he had not witnessed Tom Paris say no to Captain Janeway once.
Now that he had the opportunity to spend time with Paris away from other members of the crew he could discern that he was not a happy man. In fact, for one with an image of being the life of the party and center of social activity the man spent a great deal of time alone. Tuvok noticed that Tom spent his free time with Harry Kim or B'Elanna Torres when she decided to participate in an evening at Sandrines on occasion. He also noted that Lt. Paris ate most of his meals with Mr. Kim. Careful scrutiny and closer inspection revealed that those were the only people that he spent time with. He said nothing but Tuvok got the impression that Paris preferred spending time with him and that was why they continued working on different projects. The first one took a few months to complete due to their other duties and traveling through a particularly hostile area of space. Several weeks before finishing, Paris nonchalantly suggested that they start working on a follow-up while they were still in creative mode. He agreed. Truth be told, aside from his social time with Captain Janeway or assisting Seven, Tuvok spent a great deal of time alone as well. Partly because of his distaste for some of the more...colorful and illogical activities on board the ship. Partly because Vulcans were rarely at the top of the 'must invite to insure a good time' list. It did not bother him in the least as he found more productive ways of utilizing his time. It wasn't until after working with Paris that he considered the possibility that he might be missing out on some things. He decided to commit that observation to further study and evaluate his hypothesis at a later date.
If it were possible to pin point the shift in Tom Paris' overall personality and demeanor it would be after what he and several others referred to as the away mission from hell. Four months after B'Elanna's return from the Barge of the Dead, Tom was accused of murder. It seemed air tight and even Voyager's crew believed he did it. The only people who supported him were Harry, B'Elanna, and the captain—to an extent. She was in a predicament that caused her to balance the lives of her entire crew against the life of one man. They had nothing to exonerate him and even though she was grieved on a personal level, Tom was certain that she couldn't and wouldn't allow the others to suffer just for him. He didn't want them to.
B'Elanna seemed more intense than usual in her defense of him to other members of the crew. They did not realize that she took the defense of her friend's honor very seriously. She had no proof but he swore he did not do it. She didn't need him to swear anything. She knew he didn't do it and she wouldn't allow anyone to comment otherwise in her presence. They knew to shut up and move along when she was in the room. Harry was just plain broken up about the whole thing. He was absolutely convinced that his friend was innocent though he couldn't offer anything to satisfy the authorities on the planet other than his word. It was getting them no where. When he offered to stay behind with Tom others were shocked. Tom and the captain refused to consider it. Harry didn't consider it a sacrifice, he considered it both his privilege and responsibility as his friend. He was still shut down from staying.
The one to save Tom Paris was Tuvok. One handy dandy mild meld and he had all the evidence they needed to catch the guilty party and expose an entire corrupt underground organization within the planet's government. Yeah, they felt like jerks after that but what could they do? They offered a general apology and told Voyager to collect their crew and scram from their system as soon as possible. They didn't need to be told twice. That experience was the straw that broke Tom Paris' back. He wasn't interested in dealing with any of them after that. Hell, even Chakotay thought he did it. That's when he realized that he only had three friends on board the ship and that'd probably be all he'd ever have. Tuvok wasn't interested in a thank you.
"Mr. Paris, I simply acted logically. There was one way to prove your innocence and I had the ability to do so."
"Yes, but you didn't think I was guilty when you initiated the mind meld did you?"
"No, I did not."
"That's a heck of a lot better than all but two other people on the ship. On some level, and I don't really want to think about how much, I think even the captain suspected that I might be guilty."
Vulcans do not lie but they do elect to withhold the truth rather than release information that would serve no logical purpose. He said nothing about his private discussions with the captain when she seemed to indicate that she, like others, thought he might have done it. That was one reason she spent so much time trying to work on a way for him to receive a reduced sentence from the death penalty instead of trying to track down the guilty party. Tuvok definitely believed Tom Paris did not need to know that piece of information if he was going to have any peace once returning to the ship.
"As I said, there is no need to thank me. It also serves no purpose to consider the thoughts of your fellow shipmates. You were exonerated and we are returning to the ship. Everyone knows that you are innocent."
"No, everyone knows that I got out of it. That, they can't help but notice since I won't be facing the firing squad at dawn. There will still be many people who will question whether this was one more time Tom Paris skated by. One more time when he lucked out of something that he was guilty of and got away scot free."
Tuvok immediately picked up on his tone and demeanor even though Lt. Paris did a commendable job at concealing his true feelings on the subject. The time that they spent working on the holo programs showed him a very different side of Tom Paris, one he was certain others did not see. It would be illogical for them to harbor certain feelings and beliefs about his character if they did. Then Tuvok considered that most of the crew rarely did what was logical. He also learned many things about Tom Paris during that mind meld that he did not know previously. It was not his intention to invade the man's privacy but he had to initiate a deep telepathic scan in order to uncover the truth of what occurred on the planet. In doing so, he had a greater understanding of the man before him. He was impressed that he suppressed those thoughts and emotions so well that his character seemed fixed and permanent in the minds of his shipmates. Until that moment, he had no idea of the extent of what he endured on board Voyager for the past few years or the price he payed for participating in the undercover operation. This caused Tuvok to re-evaluate the long established Vulcan theory that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Tuvok also discovered something that would be shocking if he weren't Vulcan. How Starfleet Medical psych exams missed the fact that Tom Paris is empathic was beyond him. Now some of his choices and behavior made sense. His preference for limiting his friendship to Harry Kim who had a quiet and consistently pleasant disposition seemed logical. Tuvok also noted that he spent more time with B'Elanna Torres after her visit to the Barge of the Dead and her own change occurred. Finally, he considered Tom's willingness to work with Seven differently than others on the ship. He heard enough gossip to know that most people thought it was an attempt to insinuate himself in her life sexually. Tuvok surmised that because Seven rarely experienced strong emotions other than with Lt. Torres and the fact that she did not exude the same degree of disparagement toward him as other crewmen he preferred working with her. Finally, he considered that as a Vulcan, his own lack of emotions was a welcome respite from what he received from just about every person on board the ship.
He also considered Commander Chakotay's personal animosity toward Paris in a different light. As a Vulcan, Tuvok is detached enough to observe the feelings of others even when they attempt to conceal them. Chakotay rarely attempted to conceal his distrust for Lt. Paris. Having to work and live in such a negatively charged atmosphere on a permanent basis with little hope for the situation changing had to weigh heavily on the man. At first, he wondered why Lt. Paris never mentioned his empathic ability. Then he correctly concluded that information was more dangerous to him than anyone else. Paris had enough to deal with picking up stray emotions from his detractors. He was certain that if some individuals learned of this ability they would simply turn it into a weapon by purposely sending him overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings on a consistent basis. Tuvok said nothing and resolved not to allude to what he inadvertently learned in any way. It was obvious that Lt. Paris intended to keep a great deal about himself well hidden.
"Mr. Paris, the important thing is that you know you did not commit the crime and that you are free. What others may or may not believe is irrelevant. I have found that humans prefer their own opinions and beliefs to what is logical, factual and truthful. I believe the history of—Yellow Journalism on Earth is sufficient evidence of my proposition. You cannot control the thoughts of others. Only your own actions. Perhaps when we return to Voyager you would be interested in learning some simple meditation techniques that might assist you."
Tom thought about that for a few long moments. He wasn't sure it would help but he definitely thought it couldn't hurt. Maybe there was something to hanging out on the existential level that might help him shut out the growing negative vibes he was sure to pick up from most of the crew. It always happened like that. After that whole Cazon mess he had to practically shut himself off from the crew without making it look like he was hiding. Having to man the helm with Chakotay's eyes boring holes in the back of his neck darn near caused all his shields to crack and it took months to repair the damage. For a long time, Harry was the only person he could tolerate. This was going to be hell.
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Thanks."
Tuvok could almost see the path his thoughts were taking while he stood silently waiting for Paris to make up his mind. He was gratified that his suggestion was taken to heart and resolved to be of assistance in teaching him the basics to help him get through this latest blow to his psyche without revealing his true understanding of the seriousness of the situation.