The Power of the Q- Ch. 3- Stranger on the Street
I looked around, Looks the same as when I left. I thought.
'Well duh!' I heard Tameth in the back of my head. 'You were here according to the time, only one week ago. Geez, even I pay attention to Q.'
I know him, unlike you. So I don't pay attention that much, I'm sure neither does Jack. I answered back
'Why'd you say my name?' Jack asked. 'What did I do?'
See my point. I smiled in my mind. You never met Q. You don't know him for who he really is.
'I wonder why he never bothered me...' Tameth asked.
You were a crazy Klingon legend. He was probably afraid, or something. Now, shut up. I answered back.
I started staring at the woman walking past me. She had spots, a lovely smile, brown hair tied into a ponytail, and brown eyes. I smiled at her.
"Jadzia," I said. I might as well give this invisible thing a try. Jadzia kept on walking. "Hello??? Anyone home?" I started waving my arms in front of her. Okay, so I got the invisible thing down. She got into the turbolift and so did I.
We both stepped off the turbo lift onto the command center of Deep Space Nine. Dax took her seat at the table in the center of the command center and I took the seat next to her.
As soon as I sat down, Major Kira Nerys came over and was about to sit down in my lap!! I had to dive out of the seat. In return for me diving out of the seat, it swung around, making Kira fall. I was cracking up!
"What the hell?" Kira screamed. Jadzia helped her up. Kira was about to say more, but Commander Sisko was given a letter by a young ensign. He read it aloud:
I regret to inform the station of Deep Space Nine that the Starship U.S.S. Voyager, number NCC- 74656, has disappeared with all hands on board in the Badlands chasing a Maquis ship. Admiral Owen Paris is onboard your station at this time, please inform him of this event.
It was quiet all around.
"If you excuse me, I have to go inform Admiral Paris. Dismissed." Commander Sisko said quietly. He was in the turbolift when Dax came up to him.
"Benjamin, let me go break the news to him." Jadzia said. "I know the Admiral." Sisko looked at Dax for a second. He nodded and got out of the turbolift, letting Dax in. I raced to the turbolift and made it in a second before it left the command center. Jadzia was quiet most of the time. I naturally, wasn't. I kept talking, knowing she wouldn't hear, but it was great to see her again. The doors opened and Jadzia walked out.
"Whoa, wait a second!" I said like Jadzia could hear me. "Admiral Paris? As in Admiral Owen Paris, as in my father? He's here? On Deep Space Nine, now? And Voyager just went missing? Hey, Jadzia, wait up!" I ran after her, walking along the corridors. "You're going to tell Dad that I or Voyager for the matter disappeared? Can't you let someone else do it? Like a stranger on the street? Let a guy come up to him on the street and say, 'Oh, sorry about your son, Admiral.' Then Dad'll go, 'Son? What do you mean?' Then the stranger will go, 'The one that was in jail, your only son, the one that disappeared on Voyager chasing the Maquis.' 'They disappeared? I don't care about Thomas being lost; I'm more worried about Kathryn Janeway. We were very good friends.' The end! Bravo, Bravo! To me, the best realistic story ever told! It made me talk, it made me cry, it made me-"
We had stopped outside of Admiral Paris's temporary quarters. Admiral Paris came to the door when Jadzia rang the bell. As soon as they exchanged hellos, Jadzia told him everything that happened.
"Okay, thank you, Lieutenant." Was all Owen Paris said. Then he closed the door. Jadzia was stunned and then got over it quickly. She turned around to go back to the command center.
"I told you! You should have let the stranger on the street tell him, but nooooo, you had to tell him yourself! You should start listening to me." I said walking next to her.
Suddenly, Q appeared to my right. He was all smiles.
"She can't even hear you, Tommyboy." Q smiled. "Now, come with me." Q was about to snap his fingers.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" I grabbed his hand pulled it down and let go. "Where the hell are we going?"
"We're going to Voyager." Q was about to snap his fingers again.
"I have to say what I liked and didn't already?" I asked. "Well if I do, you lost, because seeing my father isn't on the top of my list of things to see or do."
"No, I just thought that you might wanna see what's happening." Q smiled and before I could stop him, he snapped his fingers and both of us were in the Briefing room. Janeway was standing near the windows and Tuvok and the suicidal Q were sitting to my right.
"Lieutenant, nice of you to have joined us." Janeway said.
"Believe me Captain, it's my pleasure." I forced a smile.
"Q was about to show us who was affected by that Q." She motioned to QSU.
Q snapped his fingers and one hippie, Sir Isaac Newton, and Commander Riker for the Enterprise-D. Riker looked around the Briefing room. He stopped looking around as soon as he saw me.
"Paris?" He asked. It had been nearly 15 years seen we last saw each other. "Tom Paris?"
"Yep, Lieutenant Tom Paris in the flesh." I smiled. I walked up to him and we shook hands, we were about the same height. I remember when I first saw Riker; he looked like he was two billion meters taller than me! Now, I feel too tall. "How's the Enterprise?"
"You were lost on Voyager, unless... did you pull another one of your disappearing acts?" Riker asked.
"No, I'm on Voyager, and you are too." I smiled. "And may I introduce Captain Janeway." I said pointing towards Janeway. "And this is-"
"Kathy can introduce Riker to everyone, Tommyboy." Q interrupted. "Now, leave."
"How nice of you." I said sarcastically. "I actually get to choose where I'm going this time?"
"Yep, and I'll let you be visible. But, go into the past of Voyager to a specific time, it's your choice. You can do anything you want except putting Voyager any closer to home." Q smiled.
"Okay. I'm outta here." I smiled. "Goodbye, Captain, Lieutenant Tuvok, and Commander; hope to see you again Commander." I snapped my fingers and I was in Voyager's past. I was standing in my quarters.
"Computer, how long has Voyager been in the Delta Quadrent?" I asked the computer.
"Voyager has been in the Delta Quadrant for two hundred and forty two days." The computer responded.
Okay, I thought. Voyager's been in the Delta Quadrant for about eight months. That means that Harry and I are friends now. The perfect plan: Tell Harry I'm a Tok'ra, make sure he won't flip out, and also make sure he won't tell anyone else. That can't be too hard, right?
'Not hard at all. Except for the fact that he didn't want you to come anywhere near him. Better start packing because Mister 'I'm-the-Captain's-pet' is gonna tell the Captain. I heard Tameth say.
See, this is one of the reasons that you'll never have a chance with Janeway. I answered. You're too damned sarcastic and annoying.
'What, and you aren't?' Tameth said.
'Shut-up you two!' Culnac interrupted. 'It doesn't matter if Tom tells Harry or not because Tom's eventually going to tell the senior staff, who in turn, will tell the crew. It doesn't matter at all; things are going to happen the way they're supposed to. Now, stop talking to yourself and go tell Harry!'