New: Twentieth Century Boy Author: ZorroRojo - zorrorojo@slashcity.com Series: X-Over Voyager/X-Files/Highlander Part: 15/16 Rating: R? Codes: C/P Archive: Anywhere Disclaimer: yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah - not mine. Summary: I don't want to give one. Warnings: Non-Graphic Slash - Cussing -  a little violence (not anything worse than what you see on American TV. **********   "We have a new objective," Chakotay announced to the assembled team. "We found something late last night that changes a few things. A smaller, fighter class ship was pulled in with us. We're going to find it and see if it's space worthy. If it is, we change our plans." "Why?" Agent Mulder asked. He was ready to go back to the ship; he wanted some answers and he wanted them for himself. For the first time in years, he thought they might have a chance to defeat the menace. Though he had to admit, reluctantly, that he was happy he and Scully did not have to confront the aliens alone. "Because, stopping this one ship isn't enough. We need to destroy the rift they created. When we were pulled into this time and place, there were thousands of ships on the other side. If the rift isn't closed, they can come back to another time, another place. Granted, I don't know how their technology works, but we have to try to close the hole they've opened. Since we don't know if our ship exists in the new timeline, we don't know if they have neutralized the threat on the other side." "Is here a way to find out?" MacLeod asked. "No, there isn't. We're pretty much on our own." "We need to check in with our agency," Mulder said. Chakotay tapped his combadge and called, "Tom? Are you awake?" "Uh-huh," a bleary voiced Tom answered. "I need you to monitor a communication." Chakotay turned to Mulder and Scully, "Go to the cargo hold and Lt. Paris will give you a com channel." Chakotay turned to the rest of his makeshift crew. "MacLeod, Cochrane, you're with me. Mark, you're assigned to Tom today. Gerron, work with Tuvok. I've got the FBI. Tuvok? Are you having any luck communicating with the creature we took from Mark?" "No. I believe it is time we tried the method we discussed last night." Chakotay shook his head, adamant. "No, it's too dangerous." "I do not agree. If I take appropriate precautions, I do believe I will be successful. We need information, Commander." "We'll discuss it again once we've found the other ship. MacLeod, Cochrane, Tuvok, Scully, Mulder, we leave in fifteen minutes." ********** Scully took a seat next to Tom at the control panel in the cargo hold. "How are you?" she asked him. He shrugged his shoulders and continued tapping the panel. He connected to one of the many communications satellites orbiting Earth and sat back. "I'm fine. I hear I have you to thank for being alive." "I'm the one who shot you." "How were you to know their exoskeleton was soft? The bullet passed through it and hit me." Tom shrugged again. "And I accidentally shot your partner - only my weapon had a stun setting, yours didn't." She still couldn't believe he was sitting there, breathing on his own, his heart working. "Can I examine your incision?" Tom shook his head. "No." "I should check for infection." Tom, knowing what Tuvok and Chakotay had planned for the FBI agents, relented and lifted his shirt. Scully stared at his torso. His chest hair had been shaved for the operation and his chest was bare, shinning and unblemished. "It's gone. Mulder, come look at this." Tom dropped his shirt before Mulder could get a look and told Scully, "I'm fine on the inside too. Look," He pulled out a tricorder and showed her the readings. "Everything is within normal ranges. I'm a little tired and a little sore, but otherwise, I'm fine. Sit here," he got up and gave her his seat, then took hers. "What do I do?" she asked as she stared at the control panel. "Give me the number you're trying to reach." Scully gave him the number and Tom connected her. He sat next to her with his finger on the panel, ready to cut the com link if necessary. "It's Scully," Scully reported when a voice came over the line. "Where the hell are you two?" "We're in the middle of the desert following a lead on the missing people." "Any luck?" "No." "Stay in touch, we don't want to add your names to the missing." Tom cut the com channel and went back to configuring communications and schematics for the mission to the alien fighter. Mulder wanted to question someone since the moment he arrived on the craft. It looked like he finally had his chance. "Where are you from?" he asked Tom. "Earth. California to be exact." Mulder took another good look at Tom Paris and shook his head. "Some things never change, I guess." Scully also took the opportunity to question a friendly, open person. "When are you from?" "I was born in your calendar year 2348. I can't really tell you anything else, OK?" Even though Tom knew these two would be dealt with, he didn't want to take any more risks than necessary. Mulder continued to question him. "How long has this race been invading Earth? Do they keep any humans alive?" Tom shook his head. "I don't know. Really, I don't. We were on our way to take shore leave when we stumbled into them. It's an accident we're even here." But Mulder wouldn't be deterred. He wanted answers and he was determined to get them. "I lost someone to them twenty years ago. I need to know what happened to her." "I'm sorry, I can't help you. You probably know more about them than I do." Tom's combadge chirped and he answered it, extricating himself from the interrogation by the intense FBI man. "Tom, are they finished?" Chakotay asked. "Yes. No problems." "Send them up here." Tom turned to Mulder and Scully. "You heard him." Mulder immediately went forward, anxious to do something. Scully stayed behind to talk to Tom. "You would let me know if you weren't feeling well, wouldn't you?" Tom shook his head and smiled. "I'm the medic of our crew; I'd fix myself. No offense, but you cut me open and stuck me full of holes." "Chakotay was very worried about you. He cares for you very much." "He better," Tom smirked. "I'm married to him." "That would explain things, wouldn't it?" Scully stood to follow Mulder. "Well, from one medical professional to another, don't overexert yourself." "Really, I'm fine. I know it's hard for you to understand. I've been in worse shape than that before. You should have seen me the time I mutated. That was a fun one." "Mutated?" "Long story." He waved Scully off and she stepped through the makeshift hatch. "Wait," Tom called. "I almost forgot." He threw her two combadges. "One for Mulder and one for you. Tap it once and you'll get me. I'm mission control today. Tap it once and say a name and you'll be connected to whoever you called."     "Tom," Chakotay called over the com link, "we're coming back." "What did you find?" "I'll brief you when we get there." Moments later the six members of the away team materialized in the cargo hold. Tom was on his feet and at their side in a flash. "Well?" he asked Chakotay. Chakotay raised a hand and stilled him. "Computer, transport Lt. Paris and myself to the surface." Tom didn't have time to say a word as he was caught by the transporter beam and whisked to the surface. Night had fallen again, but it was a bright night. The Milky Way was visible and the moon shone half-full. "What did you find?" "You were right. It was one of the fighters." "Any trouble? I was worried. I didn't hear from you all day." "No one was near the ship but our communicators wouldn't work. Tom, we need to talk." "About?" "Staying here." "I thought that was already decided." "The fighter is space-worthy. We could go back in it. Three of us anyway." "Uh-uh. It's two, four, or none. I won't go without you." "I knew you were going to say that." "If only three people fit, we can squeeze in a fourth." "Space is not the problem. Someone has to stay here and find the infiltrators. Someone else has to go through the rift and close it." "Made a lot of decisions today, haven't you?" "Tom, this is important. They shouldn't be here. We accessed their computer." "And?" "There are a lot of them here." "How many is a lot?" "Over a thousand." "That is a lot. You want to stay, don't you?" "I have to. Tuvok and Gerron want to go. They'll be the ones taking the risk. Voyager probably won't be there and they will be stuck in the Delta Quadrant on an alien ship. If Voyager isn't there, they are going to the planet we were supposed to spend our shore leave on." "I'm staying here, with you." "Are you sure?" "Of course!" "We won't be able to rely on our technology. We'll keep weapons and tricorders and a medkit, but that's it. We'll have to keep to ourselves, and we're going to have to destroy the Flyer. We'll spend the rest of our lives here." "I know. I already told you I don't care where I am. I meant it. I can't believe you would think I would want to go." "I knew you wouldn't, Tom. I can't order you to stay though. I expect you'll be happier here than I am." "We'll be fine. Tom Paris and his trusty sidekick, Chakotay, fighting the scourge of the galaxy, ridding Earth of Alien Infiltrators. I kinda like the sound of that." "Sidekick? I don't think so." "I'm not getting a job, though. But we are going to need money. I've got it; I can open a bank account for us. A little hacking and I can give us all the money we'll ever need." "We'll talk about that part later, OK? Tuvok's going to mind meld with the alien we took from Mark. They're not physically compatible with Vulcans - I suspect only humans meet their needs. Why else would they be here? I need you to monitor him during the meld." "All right, but I'm fine now. I can go on the mission." "Tom, neither one of us is going." "What?" "You, Scully Mulder and I are vulnerable to infection. Tuvok, Gerron, and the Immortals aren't. It's a command decision. I'm placing MacLeod in command of the away team and we'll provide technical support from here. This is so hard for me to do. One thing we both still need to learn is that we are not always the best choice for a mission." "You say that now, but I'm going to end up tying you down to keep you from going." "I think I'll be able to control myself." "We'll see," Tom smirked as he pulled Chakotay in for a quick embrace. "I'll have the restraints ready just in case. Whoa, down big guy, we don't have time for that. Restraints huh? All it takes is a mention of restraints and you're ready to jump me? I'll have to remember that." "But I want you wearing them," Chakotay whispered in Tom's ear. "You're right, we don't have time for that. It's time to go back." They reluctantly separated and Chakotay ordered their transport. End Part 15