New: Twentieth Century Boy Author: ZorroRojo - zorrorojo@slashcity.com Series: X-Over Voyager/X-Files/Highlander Part: 4/16 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. **********   Chakotay reprogrammed the transporters for the third time, trying to get the automated controls to work just right. He groaned in disgust when he realized he forgot to adjust for artificial body parts and sat up under the console he was working on. He was about to try again when Gerron came scrambling through the hatch from the cargo hold, Tom right on his heels. Chakotay saw the tricorder Tom waved through the air but he couldn't see the wayward crewman. He went back to his programming, keeping an ear on the conversation. Gerron insisted, loudly, "I am *not* letting you operate on me. You aren't a doctor." "You have to. Now come back here." Chakotay stifled a laugh at Tom's tone. It was the one usually reserved for the rare times when Tom wanted sex and he didn't. "But I *like* my nose!" Gerron whined. "And it's a very nice nose --- for a Bajoran! The Holodoc will fix you when we get home, I promise. You can't walk around 1999 Earth with a Bajoran nose." Gerron sounded much younger than his twenty-four years and Chakotay thought he heard a foot stomp on the deck. "Says you. Can't we say I was in an accident? Please?" Chakotay did start laughing when Tom tried the insulted route. He was good, Chakotay had to admit. "Is it me you don't trust? Hey Tuvok, didn't I do a good job on your ears?" Tuvok answered from beneath the other console, "Yes Lt. I do appear to be Human." Tom lowered his voice and Chakotay had to stop what he was doing and strain to hear him. He sat up to watch the show. "Gerron, look, I won't touch anything under your clothes, I promise. Just the face." "Under my clothes?" Gerron whispered back. Tom lowered his voice even more and Chakotay saw him throw an arm around the young crewman's shoulder. "I know about other Bajoran differences. If anyone gets that close to you we can call those birth defects, but we have to make your face human." Chakotay knew what weapon in his arsenal Tom would use next - reason. But Tom was running out of manipulative techniques. He was about to interrupt and order Gerron to let Tom operate on him but he didn't want to interfere. Tom did outrank Gerron and Tom was in charge of fitting them in. "If we crashed on Bajor, I'd let you give me a Bajoran nose." Yup, Chakotay laughed, Tom was trying reason. Gerron paused and finally broke. "All right. But make it a nice nose." Tom clapped his hands together and turned his profile to the young Bajoran, "Do you like mine? I can give you mine, Chakotay's or Tuvok's. I need a template to work from." Gerron studied the three officers, who were by this time all watching the show, and thought for a minute. "You'd better give me yours, it fits my face better." As Tom pulled Gerron back to the cargo hold, Chakotay could hear him assuring, "Now this won't hurt a bit. And I'll even give you a nicer nose than mine. See, I'll even take out this little bump." Chakotay turned back to his programming, no longer trying to hold in his laughter. He almost had it. Time to concentrate again. Tom sidled up to him an hour later with a drink in hand and a smirk on his face. "Your turn." "My turn what?" "The tattoo's gotta go." "I don't think so, Lt." "You put me in charge of fitting us in and I say it goes." "Computer," Chakotay called, "access cultural database, Earth, North America, United States of America, 1999." "Accessing," the computer reported. "Are tattoos culturally acceptable?" "Affirmative." Chakotay nodded and brushed Tom away. "I'm almost done here. Have you replicated our clothes yet?" "I'm finished." Tom remained at his side until Chakotay looked up. "The tattoo has to go, Chakotay. Sorry, but it's on your face and you won't fit in. I thought we didn't want to draw attention to ourselves." "This is non-negotiable, Lt., the tattoo stays." Chakotay would argue with Tom later in private. His husband obviously did not understand the significance of his tattoo. Tom's insensitivity blindsided Chakotay and he wasn't about to let it go. But he wouldn't argue with a subordinate, husband or anyone else, in front of another officer. Tuvok would hear them even if they whispered. "Fine." Tom jumped up and stalked off, taking the canteen with him. "Let me know when you're ready for your clothes, Commander," Tom called out as he slipped through the hatch. "I'll be back here, making decisions that you can ignore." "I want you and Gerron to both rest for awhile. When you're done with the clothes, lay down. We're leaving in the morning and we might have to walk quite a way." Tom paused halfway through the hatch. Chakotay knew he was fighting not to say something sarcastic, but his short answer wasn't what Chakotay was expecting; "Yes sir." Wonderful. He's going to be even happier when he finds out exactly where we are. ********** "This," Chakotay pointed to the map of Earth displayed on the terminal, "is where we are. We've been scanning in an outward circular pattern for chroniton radiation and we have an idea where the alien craft is. Tuvok?" "The ship is within a hundred mile radius of our position. We cannot be more precise because the area is flooded with chroniton particles. There is a small town thirty miles from our position - here - and another, larger town seventy miles north. We will have to search for the craft with our handheld tricorders. We are going to need vehicles, supplies and information." "So," Chakotay interrupted, "We're going to town. We'll beam to an unpopulated area five miles outside of town and walk in. I've programmed the transporters to transport all twenty-fourth technology from our bodies with one command. If you are stopped by the authorities, are injured, or if there is any chance of someone seeing anything, you are to use the transporter to dispose of the technology. It will be beamed back to the Flyer so we won't lose anything. We cannot have it discovered. We've all seen first hand what can happen." "So what do we do if we're separated?" Tom asked. "You get back here any way you can." "That's it? I might be wrong, but from what I can see of these maps we're in the middle of the desert. How are we supposed to get back here?" Chakotay nodded. Hopefully it wouldn't happen. "Consider yourselves to be in a hostile situation." He switched off the viewscreen and consulted a PADD, "We need paperwork. Tom can you handle it?" Tom shrugged his shoulders and answered, "I don't know. What do we need, Commander?" "Whatever paperwork is customary for citizens of this nation at this time." Don't fight me now, Chakotay pleaded with his eyes. We'll talk later. "And money?" Tom prompted. "Replicate some, but not too much. We want to avoid attention." "I'll replicate cash and plastic." Chakotay stared at him blankly, waiting for Tom to explain. Now was not the time to play games. "Plastic. Credit cards. You know, better than cash." "No I don't know, I'll leave that to you." "Right," Tom muttered. "Is there a problem Lt.?" Tom sighed, "No Commander. How much money do you want?" "Whatever you think we're going to need. We're going to need vehicles, a place to stay, food, hiking and camping supplies and extra money. Gerron, you're assigned to Lt. Paris. Whatever he needs, you assist him, understood?" "Yes sir." "We're going to split into search teams. Tom and Gerron, you're going to take the southern section and Commander Tuvok and I will take the northern." "Wouldn't it make more sense to have a Commander on each team?" Tom asked, clearly annoyed. "Gerron, can you drive a car?" Chakotay asked. "No." "Commander Tuvok, can you drive a car?" "No Commander, I cannot. Though I do believe I could learn." Chakotay stared at Tom as he asked his next question, "Gerron can you speak Federation Standard?" "No." "Tuvok, can you speak any other Terran languages than Federation Standard?" "No, Commander." Commander Chakotay turned off his PADD and stood, dropping it onto the console before giving his last order. "Tuvok and I will search to the north, Tom and Gerron to the south. We leave at 0430." "Nothing will be open." "Excuse me?" "I said no one will be up and nothing will be open that early." "The point is not to be seen, Lt. is that all? You have your assignments." *********** Chakotay crawled under the blankets, trying not to wake Tom, but as soon as he was settled, Tom began to squirm and sigh. Time to play nice. Tom had to at least be sore. He'd had both feet in the grave twenty-four hours before. Chakotay rolled onto his side and leaned on his elbow. He rubbed Tom's chest and whispered, "Sorry I woke you, how are you feeling?" "Fine." Great. Maybe begging would work. "Tom, please." "What? Do you want to examine me? Do you not trust my medical knowledge either?" Tom flipped an object at Chakotay, who barely managed to catch the projectile. "Here's the tricorder. Have at it." "I don't want to fight with you," Chakotay whispered. "Well then don't tell me to do something and then do it your own way. You either accept my decisions or you don't assign me a position of making them." Of course. "Tom, it's not only the tattoo but who put it there. It wouldn't be the same." "Whatever." "Tom, can't you even try to understand?" "Oh, I understand." "No you don't and you're not going to try. Do you have everything packed?" "Yes." "Including your sun protection?" "Do you want to look through my pack?" Tom grated out through clenched teeth. Chakotay rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, finally whispering, "No, Tom. I don't. Good night." ********** Mulder poured another glass of tea and listened, or at least tried to look like he was listening, as Scully told of her exploits with George for the fourth time. And for the fourth time, Mulder regretted giving her the better assignment. "It was incredible, Mulder. There are places hidden out there you couldn't imagine existed. There are thousands of smaller ecosystems hidden within the larger desert. We stopped for lunch at this place called Agua Fria and out there in the 120-degree heat there was this oasis. The flying was incredible, and I felt completely safe. George - " Fed up with hearing of George the pilot's exploits for the fourth time, Mulder interrupted, "But did you find anything?" "What?" "It's not like you to forget what you were looking for." "Sorry. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The film should be developed tomorrow morning. Did you learn anything from Spider?" "Yes and no. I thought if I got there before ten he wouldn't be drunk but I was wrong. We're going out there after dark to see the lights he's been seeing. Oh, and he doesn't know we're FBI. The man has a serious problem with the government." "I'm not surprised. It appears to be a common character trait around here." "What do you want to do until then?" "We have to go north and rent a better vehicle. I've arranged for a Land Rover but we have to drive two hundred miles to get it. I think we should begin our search south of town and work eastward into the mountains and canyons. From above, I could see there's nowhere to hide to the north and west." "A hiker disappeared in the park yesterday." "Really." "A young guy, in shape and experienced in desert hiking. When we get back I want to go into the park and look around. Spider had a little more to share with me." "And?" "He said he's seen government cars sneaking around at night. Big, black four by fours. Sounds like government cars to me." "Well then, our new transportation will fit right in." End Part 4