Tom Paris sat at a table in the back of the Mess Hall. He was staring at his food, trying to think of a way to stop the phantom from tormenting him. He stabbed at his food as he dismissed idea after idea. He finally dropped his fork and put his head in his hands. He sighed as he began to believe that it was near impossible.
*There has got to be a way to stop it,* Tom thought as he let out a frustrated growl.
"Glad you're happy to see me," B'Elanna's voice came to his ears.
Startled, Tom looked at her. He offered a weak smile and sighed, "I've been trying to come up with a way to stop this ghost. Nothing has come up so far."
B'Elanna sympathized with him. He ha been trying to come up with something ever since the seance. It has been two days and he was no closer to a solution. She picked at her food as she mulled ideas over in her mind.
"You said this being is a manifestation of Caldik Prime," when she saw him nod, she continued, "Maybe the answer is in the past. What if you relived it?"
Tom stared at her as if she had grown another head. He shook his head, "No, B'Elanna. The nightmares are enough. I do not want to relive it at all."
B'Elanna looked at him. She saw the fear and the determination of not following her suggestion in his blue eyes. Tom was going to put up a fight, but she was ready.
"Tom, you haven't come up with any solutions. The ones you have thought about, you've dismissed them. Will you at least give this a try? It might help."
The pilot glared at her, "Help me with what? Becoming more insane?! No, B'Elanna. I've had enough!"
"You are not insane, Tom! I've seen the ghost. We've all heard it. We know why it's after you. Now we have to stop it! I believe reliving the events of Caldik Prime in a simulation will help. I'll be there with you."
Tom refused to budge. He crossed his arms and glared at her, "No."
"Fine. I'll find someother way to get you into that holodeck."
Without another word, B'Elanna stood up and left the Mess Hall. Tom watched her leave, knowing that the only way she was going to get him to go through with the simulation was an order from the captain. He leaned back in his chair and groaned.
*She's going to the captain,* Tom thought.
~~
B'Elanna exited the turbolift. When she saw that Janeway wasn't in her Captain's Chair, the engineer headed for the Ready Room. She pushed the call button, and entered when the doors slid open. She was greeted by Janeway holding a cup of hot coffee in her hand.
"What can I do for you, B'Elanna?" Janeway asked as she headed for her desk.
"Captain, it's Tom," B'Elanna started, going over to the desk, "I have an idea that might help him defeat this demon, but he doesn't like it."
"What is the idea?"
B'Elanna didn't bother to sit down even after Janeway offered her a chair. The engineer went right into her idea as if she was telling the captain about a new way to increase warp efficiency.
"I was thinking that if we recreated the accident to exact or near exact detail, he might find a clue as to how to stop this ghost. We might also learn how it began to build and feed off his fears. I had Harry and Chakotay help with the details, and used the data banks to help with everything else. Now all we need is Tom."
Janeway nodded, "He doesn't want to do it, and you want me to order him to. Is that it?"
B'Elanna sat down, "Yes. I know it's been hard for him. I know he still feels the guilt and has nightmares, but this might also help him get past it. Maybe that will stop this ghost--by getting past his fears."
Janeway folded her hands under her chin as she looked at the young woman before her. She could tell that the engineer wanted dearly to help the pilot. She wondered if B'Elanna was doing the wrong thing by making Tom relive a very painful part of his life. She wondered if it would help at all or just make it worse.
"Have you thought this over, B'Elanna? Really thought it over."
"Yes, I have. I wouldn't have asked the Commander or Harry to design the simulation if I hadn't. I really do believe this will help Tom find a way to stop this creature. He's thought of everything else and has dismissed them all."
Janeway nodded once and sighed. She hated to do this to Tom, but if there was no other way.
"All right, B'Elanna. I don't want to make it an order, but tell him that I think it's in his best interest if he goes through with this. Tell him that I wish him the best."
B'Elanna nodded and stood. When Janeway nodded, the engineer left to find the pilot.
*I just hope it doesn't make things worse for Tom,* Janeway thought as she sipped her coffee.
~~
B'Elanna had to wait three more hours before she could tell Tom what the captain said. The pilot was at the helm when she left Janeway's Ready Room. She went back to Engineering, all the while thinking of ways in which to tell Tom that he was going through with it, whether he liked it or not. She knew he wouldn't be in a good mood after that, but she didn't care. She was doing this for him and his sanity.
At, 2100, B'Elanna rang the door chime to Tom's quarters. When the doors slid open, she saw the pilot sitting on his couch working on a PADD. She walked in, cleared her throat, and began.
"I went to the captain today, Tom," when she didn't see him look at her, she went on, "I told her about my idea and that you wouldn't go through with it. She agrees that you should try it."
"I knew you'd go to her," Tom said, still staring at the data padd, "I'm still not going to do it."
B'Elanna's eyes flashed, but he didn't see it. She walked toward him, grabbed the padd out of his hands, and grabbed the front of his uniform. When she had his attention, she continued, "I went through a lot to get that simulation ready. I had both Chakotay and Harry working on it! I spent hours shifting through old reports of Caldik Prime when I should have been fixing a console! I made sure that everything was just the way it was when you had that accident! The least you could do is look at it!"
Tom stared at the half-Klingon before him. He could see the anger and hurt in her dark eyes. He was shocked that she had done so much to make the simulation.
"All right, B'Elanna. When do you want me there?"
B'Elanna released her hold on his uniform. She smiled softly at him, "Tomorrow at 1400, Holodeck Two. Chakotay is giving you the day off so you can do this."
"Well, wasn't that nice of him," Tom said, smiling.
"Yes, so you better be there, Paris. Or I'll come looking for you."
"I'll be there. Don't worry.
B'Elanna planted a kiss on his lips before she left his quarters.
That night, Tom wasn't bothered by nightmares.
Chapter Ten
Tom Paris paced nervously before the door to Holodeck Two. He really didn't want to go through with it, but B'Elanna had done so much to set it up that he didn't want to disappoint her. He also didn't want an agry half-Klingon hunting him down. He also wanted to put a stop to these nightmares and visions.
*If that means reliving my past then so be it,* Tom thought as he turned around and resumed his pacing, *Besides, B'Elanna will be there. She'll help me through it.*
Tom smiled at the thought. With her there, he'll know that it is just a simulation. He took a deep breath and continued pacing.
"You're going to wear out the floor, Tom," B'Elanna's voice came from behind him.
He spun around and saw her coming toward him. Tom smiled at her, though nervously. B'Elanna seemed to have noticed his nervousness for she gave him a worried look.
"Are you all right, Tom?" B'Elanna asked, stopping in front of him.
Tom ran a hand through his hair and took another deep breath, "Nerves. I was less nervous at the seance."
"Just remember that I'm in there with you. You'll do fine, Tom."
Tom nodded and B'Elanna ordered up the program. The doors opened and the two stepped inside.
Tom almost forgot to breathe. The simulation was so close to the real thing. He looked at B'Elanna, the only link to reality at the moment. Smiling weakly, he took the pilot's seat and B'Elanna began the simulation.
As the simulation played, B'Elanna could sense Tom's growing frustration then his panic. She watched with growing horror as the planet came rushing upon them. She almost forgot that it was a program herself. She braced herself for the impact as she watched a console exploded in the co-pilot's face. Then the simulation stopped.
The shuttle was silent for several minutes. Tom refused to move and B'Elanna could only stare at the carnage. She was amazed that Tom had survived such a crash that left three people dead. She felt her stomachs lurch and she closed her eyes.
"Tom?" She asked cautiously.
Silence was her only answer. She opened her eyes and saw that Tom still had not moved. She slowly got to her feet and cautiously went over to him. She knelt beside him and looked at him.
"Tom?" B'Elanna said.
Tom slowly looked at her. He was pale and his eyes were wide with shock. He took a deep shaky breath and blinked.
"What happened, Tom?" B'Elanna asked, placing a hand on his arm.
"Something different. Something that wasn't there before. I remember something that happened after the crash."
"What?" B'Elanna asked, hoping it was a clue.
Tom swallowed, closed his eyes and spoke, "After the crash, a woman came to me. She wore black and told me that I killed her husband. That it was my fault that her child would have to grow up without a father. She didn't want to hear anything from me. She told me that I would never know peace again. I guess she was right."
"Who was she, Tom?"
Tom shrugged and looked at the floor, "The wife of one of the officers that was killed. She never gave me her name."
"Tell me about the people on the shuttle, Tom?" B'Elanna asked gently, she knew their names. They were in the data banks. Hopefully, Tom might remember one of them having a wife.
Tom looked at her. He closed his eyes, remembering quite clearing who these people were. He drew a deep breath and answered, "There was Stephan. He was in physics. He wasn't married. He was going to Caldik Prime on vacation. We all were. It was our first shore leave in four months. We were all excited. I more than any of them."
Tom paused as he realized he was getting off tracked. He took a deep breath as he remembered the other two, "Linra was my co-pilot. She always told me she envied me. She wanted to take lessons from me. I think she was attracted to me. She did everything she could to be around me."
Tom opened his eyes to see that B'Elanna was waiting patiently for him to continue. He smiled softly at her, and she squeezed his arm. With the added reasurance, he went on.
"Marus was in the back checking on the suppiles we were delivering. It was supposed to be a short run to the supply station that orbited the planet. A cargo box fell on him, crushing him."
Tom stopped as he remembered the scene. He then saw vividly in his memories, the gold band on Marus' left ring finger. Tom closed his eyes and shuddered.
"Gods, it was Marus' wife that came up to me," Tom buried his head in his hands as he tried to calm himself.
B'Elanna rubbed the pilot's back as Tom tried to breathe. She stroked his hair and whispered to him. Soon, Tom sat up, staring at her.
"Marus told me once, that his wife put a curse on an enemy of his. Two days later, that person was dead. She must have put a curse on me when she told me that I would never know peace. It must have worked."
B'Elanna shook her head, but Tom stopped her, "I haven't known peace, B'Elanna. Even after coming on board Voyager."
The engineer still refused to accept it, "You have, Tom. You've found friends here. You've found respect. You're even flying again."
"I'm still having nightmares, B'Elanna. Only now, they come when I'm awake. This hasn't helped, 'Lanna. I haven't learned anything."
B'Elanna stood up, staring angrily at him, "You've learned who did this to you. If the nightmares are anything to go by then Marus' wife has put a curse on you. We have to find a way to reverse it."
"You think it's the nightmares and not my life that's not at peace?"
B'Elanna nodded, "Nothing is peaceful out here, Tom, but I believe that your sleep is what's not at peace. Everything else is fine."
Tom smiled and stood, staring into her dark eyes he whispered, "Thanks. Now let's find out how to stop this curse."
~~
In Tom's quarters, the two searched the data banks for anyone with a background in the supernatural. Several people came up, but none of them were on Voyager. They then narrowed the search to the crew of Voyager. Two came up. At the first name, they looked at each other.
"Shall I ask him, Tom?" B'Elanna suggested, mischievously.
Tom cleared his throat, "I don't think visiting my spirit guide will help in this case. Let's try the next one."
B'Elanna smiled at the small joke. She then stared in surprise at the next name on the list.
"I didn't know she was into the supernatural?"
"I think there's a lot of things you don't know about some people," Tom replied.
B'Elanna looked at him, "You for one."
Tom didn't answer. He tapped a few keys and more information came up. He read them with growing interest and optimism.
"Says here that she studied the the supernatural as a hobby. She then had a real experience with a spirit that ended with her mother traumatized. She stopped after that."
B'Elanna continued, "She joined Starfleet, believing that it would be far away from anything supernatural."
Tom laughed, "Little did she know. Do you think she'll help?"
B'Elanna looked at him, "I don't know. She might be just as relunctant as you were with trying the simulation. She's carrying some baggage of her own."
Tom nodded then stared deep into here eyes, "We all are to some degree. I believe she will help us."
B'Elanna smiled and squeezed his shoulder, "Good. I'll talk to her first. She might need some convincing."
Tom couldn't help, but smile knowing just how much convincing he needed to do the simulation.
~~
Ensign Sharon Daniels was reading over the inventory of plant life the crew had collected over the months. She was amazed at how similar some of the species were to the plant life on Earth. She was also amazed at those that were completely different. She loved being a botanist. She always loved flowers, ever since she was a little girl.
The chime of the door brought her back to reality. She stared at the door, wondering who could be visiting her.
"Enter," she said, sitting up.
Sharon was even more amazed that it was B'Elanna Torres who stepped through the door. She stood up then.
"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" Sharon asked, confused. Not many people visited her. People believe that she was dull given her occupation. She got used to it and didn't expect anyone to cal on her. She definitely didn't expect B'Elanna to see her.
"Ensign," B'Elanna began, taking a seat on the couch, "I need your help. That is Tom and I need your help."
"Tom?" Sharon stared at the half-Klingon in amazement, "Why would Tom Paris want my help. Help with what?"
B'Elanna sighed and looked at her hands. She thought of several ways to tell the ensign of Tom's troubles. She finally decided to blurt it out. The engineer looked at Sharon and spoke, "Tom is cursed. A demonic manifestation of his past is tormenting him. We've learned that the wife of one of the cadets that died on Caldic Prime cursed him as revenge. He's been tormented by nightmares and visions. We want your help, Sharon."
The ensign was shocked. She stared at the engineer, horrified that they went through her files. She didn't want to be reminded of her dabbling in the occult. She didn't want to be reminded of how she traumatized her mother.
"I won't help him," Sharon blurted, "If he can't live with his past then too bad. We all have our problems."
B'Elanna glared at her, causing the ensign to back away. She drew closer to Sharon, her dark eyes flashing, "I know that your mother was traumatized by you dabbling. As far as I see it, both you and Tom have been tormented by the past. The question here is who has lived with it and grew stronger because of it?"
Sharon leaned forward, her own eyes blazing, "He only caused more trouble for himself afterwards. I chose to change myself for the better. From where I see it, he's the one who couldn't live with it."
B'Elanna growled low in her throat, "Tom has tried and succeed in fitting in here. He's made up for his mistakes and has shown that people can change for the better."
"I still won't help him," Sharon hissed, standing up.
"Why not?"
"Because, I don't want it to happen again, Lt. Torres. I don't know what could happen this time."
"You didn't know what was going to happen last time, yet you still went through with it. You didn't know what you were dealing with. This time, you know. Please, help him."
Sharon looked at B'Elanna. The engineer's eyes were pleading with her to help the pilot. The ensign sighed. B'Elanna was right. Tom had changed, and they both experienced terrible events in their lives. The strong ones learn to live with it and move on. She tried to be one of the strong ones, and failed. She had her own nightmares plaguing her every night. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Tom's ghost was also tormenting her.
"All right. I'll help him," Sharon finally agreed, *And maybe I'll help myself.*
B'Elanna smiled, "Wonderful. I'll tell Tom and we'll set a time."
Sharon nodded, "I'll replicate what I'll need. I suggest that we have it in my quarters."
"Agreed. I'll call you when before we come by."
"I'll be waiting."
B'Elanna nodded and left the ensign's quarters. Sharon stared at the door, wondering if she was doing the right thing. She sat down on her couch and picked up the data padd she had been reading. She hoped she was. She didn't need another tragedy on her conscience.
