Threshold: Part Two

AN: Here is just a nitpick for the episode. Besides the mutation, lizard babies, lizards and the fact that the Captain could have easily been avoided if she wasn't on the one deck that didn't have the security, or better yet send security to the one deck that...you know...is empty.

That's not the point here.

The point here is that Crewman Micheal Jonas, has a very stupid rank to be a spy. What the hell does a crewmember even have access to? An Ensign, that makes more sense, but a crewman? I don't think they even get access to anything other than their department job and even then the bare minimum. Seska had more control and access around the ship. What could the crewmember say that an Ensign doesn't know? Well, other than the whole current events thing, but they are at the bottom of the food chain! They probably barely hear any gossip. Micheal Jonas, over here, doesn't seem like the type of person that would even have a lot of friends!

You know what, he isn't a crewmember. He is an ensign now.

Also, Neelix shouldn't have killed him. Way to write off another spy. Just toss them.

Sarah is also six now. Her birthday has pasted.

Sidenote: Rettick is a funnier name than it should be.

Chapter 51: Threshold: Part Two.

Bini Filters's POV

"Hmm. It looks like he's having an allergic reaction. What did he ingest?" The Doctor asked as Tom was curled up and shaking on the biobed.

"Just a cup of Neelix's coffee." B'Elanna replied.

"It's a miracle he's still alive." The Doctor sarcastically bit out as he went over Tom's bio functions. "This is strange."

"What is it?" Sarah chirped up beside me.

"He's definitely having an allergic reaction. To the water in the coffee." The Doctor explained.

"He's allergic to water?" B'Elanna asked in disbelief.

"I don't know how this is possible, but it appears that his entire biochemistry is changing. His electrolytes are breaking down, interstitial fluids are congealing."

"That made no sense," I announced. Receiving a well-deserved glare from the Doctor and B'Elanna as a result. Suddenly, Tom surged up and started gasping for air as if he lost the ability to properly breathe.

"The alveoli in his lungs are mutating. He's no longer processing oxygen." The Doctor panicked...maybe? Can holograms panic?"

"What should we do?" B'Elanna asked.

"Stand back. Computer, erect an isolation field around the surgical bay. Computer, remove all the air from within the forcefield and replace it with eighty percent nitrogen and twenty percent acidichloride. He can breathe, for now." The Doctor explained once we stepped away from the medical biobed and a forcefield surrounded Tom.

"What's happening to him?" B'Elanna asked.

"I have no idea, but I assume it had something to do with his experience on the shuttle." The Doctor said. Suddenly Tom leant out a gut-wrenching scream of pain. Causing Micheal and Sarah to clutch their ear. "His cellular membranes are deteriorating. He's dying. I need to know more about what happened on that shuttle, and I need to know it now. Radiation levels, unexplained anomalies, anything."

B'Elanna nodded and quickly ran out of sickbay as the three of us quietly watched the Doctor frantically worked on Tom.

---10 minutes later---

Kes was monitoring Tom from a nearby console, Micheal, Sarah and I stood around her because...bored. We are bored. We need some excitement in our lives. The Doctor stepped out of his office and entered the force fielded area where Tom was laying and very awake I tell you. He also looks like shit. That might have been a bit harsh, OK. Rail it back there, Filters. He looks...good...despite the blackish veins sticking from his face. I should just stop now.

"You're losing me, aren't you?" Tom assumed. "I'm going to die."

"If it makes you feel any better Tom, you do look like death." I replied.

"Gee, thanks for the support, Bini!" Tom spat back.

"You're too stubborn to die, Mister Paris." The Doctor pitched in, then looked towards Kes to give her some orders. "I want to try high saturation radiometric therapy. It might slow down his cellular mutation."

"Here lies Thomas Eugene Paris, beloved mutant." Tom continued.

"A fitting epitaph, but I don't intend to let you use it just yet." The Doctor replied.

"Radiometric emitters are charged and ready." Kes replied as she entered the commands at the console.

"Begin with forty-five rads per second."

"Great." Tom yelled with sarcasm. "Now it'll read, beloved radioactive mutant."

"No effect. Increase the dosage to eighty five rads per second. I'm going to try inhibiting the cell mitosis with a biosuppresser field."

"Big funeral with lots of pretty girls all crying." Tom continued. "Except Torres. Torres doesn't cry. Did you ever notice that? I don't trust people who don't cry. Of course, my father, he'd say crying is a sign of weakness. I never believed that."

"Has the Captain ever cried?" I asked Micheal and Sarah.

"Do you cry?" Tom weakly asked the Doctor.

"It not in my programme." He replied.

"Shame. You know, it's funny. What I remember most about being a kid are the times I spent in my room crying. I liked my room, though. It was quiet in there. People would leave me alone. I'd keep the door locked, read, play games. I lost my virginity in that room. Seventeen. Parents were away for the weekend."

"I'll note that in your medical file."

"What's virginity?" Sarah asked.

"Don't ask me. I am the last person you want to ask about that question."

"Activating the device." Kes quickly interrupted.

"Ow!" Tom cried out.

"His lymphatic system is collapsing. Increase dosage to ninety-eight rads per second." The Doctor barked.

"Pepperoni!" Tom cried out. "God, I'd love a pepperoni pizza with Kavarian olives right now. I'm starving!"

"Personally, I don't like pepperoni." Micheal told me among the chaos.

"His life signs are critical. Maximum dosage."

"Kiss me." Tom flatly said.

"What?" The Doctor exclaimed pulling back a little.

"Not you. Her." Tom replied gesturing to Kes, who turned as red as a beet.

"She can't breathe the atmosphere in here." The Doctor argued.

"Consider it a last request." He pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Tom. If we let down the forcefield, you'll suffocate."

"Also, she doesn't want to suck face with you!" I added with a big grin. Ha!

"Oh, what's the difference? I'm dying anyway. Do me a favour. When I'm gone, call Starfleet Headquarters and tell Dad that I did it. Tell him-Wait no! Bini! Shadow! Shadow, old buddy!" He cried out. I rolled my eyes. Clearly he is losing it that he is now calling me by my old nickname.

"Yes, Tom?" I asked.

"If you see my father- Owen Paris -Punch him in the face! That will teach him a lesson!" Tom continued, letting out a bitter heckle.

"Gladly!" I chirped. Micheal and Sarah gave me a horrified, unified expression.

"Bini!" They snapped at me.

"Prepare to activate the neural stimulator."

"Ready."

"Now! Again. Again! No neural activity." The Doctor grimly replied as the tricorder let out a flat line. The three of us stayed silent as we tried to process the fact that Tom...might be dead.

"We can try to revive him." Kes desperately suggested.

"His cell membranes have degraded. There's nothing more we can do." The Doctor said. Closing his tricorder and grabbing the blanket. Covering Tom's face. His lifeless body. "Computer, remove the acidichloride gas from the isolation field and deactivate the field. It will be necessary for us to perform an autopsy on the Lieutenant's body in the morning. Until then, I suggest you get some rest."

Kes slowly nodded as tears started to stream down her face. She walked over to Tom and lightly kissed his cold cheek.

"No. No, no, no, no, no-" Micheal repeated in shock as he went over to Tom's body, followed by Sarah and desperately tried to wake him up. Tears welled up in my eyes. Tom is dead. I wiped my tears away and managed to convince two heartbroken kids, who just witnessed the death of someone close away from the body.

"Come on guys," I pleaded as I tried to hopelessly stop my own messy crying. I sobbed as I held Sarah by her waist as she struggled against me and held Micheal's wrist as we trudged out of sickbay to leave the doctor and Kes to do their thing. "Let's-Let's go see the Captain."

---Time: 11:42 am---

I waddled into sickbay in my pyjamas and holding B.B Bunny. Sickbay was dimly lit to save energy. The Doctor was working in his office and, of course, Tom's body was still covered in the sheet as we left him.

I sniffled and walked over to Tom. Sliding down the wall without a sound as the Doctor walked out of his office and stood above me.

"Ensign Filters? Are you alright?" He asked with a hint of concern.

"No. No, I am not." I mumbled and hugged B.B Bunny harder. "Tom is dead."

Suddenly, a strange creaking sound came from the biobed. With slight movement underneath the blanket. I unsteadily got up and watched the body.

"Doc...What the hell is that...?" I asked.

"I...don't know." He replied and leaned over carefully and yanked back the sheet. Showing Tom taking big breathes as he sat up. We jumped back in surprise and confusion.

"You're alive!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What's happening?" Tom quietly asked as he scratches his head, pulling a handful of hair from his scalp. I let out a small screech as the horror of what the hell just happened. The Doctor quickly grabbed a tricorder and began to scan him.

"All of your internal organs are functioning again. In fact, you seem to have an extra one."

"What?" Tom and I exclaimed.

"You have two hearts." He concluded.

-----

Ensign Micheal Jonas POV

"I have thirty seconds before Security picks up this transmission. I'm sending you all current information on the warp ten shuttle flight." I barked as I frantically downloaded the data to the kazon ship nearby. The angry face of the Kaxon Rettick

"Warp ten? That's impossible." He snapped back.

"Not anymore. Lieutenant Paris crossed the threshold this morning."

"He survived?" Rettick asked.

"In a matter of speaking." I vaguely replied. "It's all in the file. This should prove my worth to you, Rettick."

"We'll see." He snarled. "Are the children still alive?"

"Of course."

-----

(Next Day)

Bini Filters POV

"He's body is going through some sort of mutation. His DNA is rewriting itself. To what end, I don't know." The Doctor explained to the Captain as Sarah, Mollie, Micheal and I watched Tom...who barely looked human at this point from just beyond the force field.

"Does this have anything to do with the enzymatic imbalance you found?" The Captain asked.

"No." He replied.

"Can you stop it?"

"So far, nothing has worked." He started. "The mutations are unlike anything in Starfleet medical records. His internal organs are being rearranged. Some have atrophied and been absorbed into his body, and there are at least three others that have appeared and have no identifiable function at all."

"What about his brain?"

"There are neuroelectrical transmutations at work. His synaptic patterns are changing almost every second. But he does still recognize me, the ship. He knows who he is." The Doctor insisted.

"Can I talk to him?"

"Of course. But I feel I should caution you that while he still is Tom Paris, he's becoming something else as well. His personality is erratic, unpredictable. There are moments of lucidity interspersed with almost deranged behaviour." He warned.

"I'll keep it in mind."

I looked a bit closer at Tom. His fingers were starting to fuse together and skin peeling off in chunks. His left eye had gone almost white and his eyes were gone. He was shaking as he watched us very closely.

"Pretty disgusting, huh?" He pipped up. The four of us didn't respond and moved away from him, letting the Captain take over.

"You've looked better. How do you feel?" The Captain asked.

"Like a lab experiment gone wrong." He muttered bitterly.

"Well, we're trying to put that experiment right. The Doctor's working on a way to restore your DNA to its original-"

"Why?" He interrupted. Everyone in the room stopped cold. Why? He didn't...He is insane.

"Excuse me?" Janeway asked.

"Why? What I'm becoming will probably be better than who I was." He spat out.

"Lieutenant, you know that's not true." She pressed.

"Oh, yes, it is. Admit it. Part of you will be glad to see me gone. I'm the Maquis traitor who sits on your Bridge and insults your uniform, remember?" He spat out.

"We're all concerned about you, Tom. We're here to help you." She insisted.

"No, you're not. You're trying to take this away from me."

"Take what away from you?"

"What I'm becoming. How do you know this isn't good for me? How do you know this isn't the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

"That's a possibility. And then again, it could kill you. We need to find out what's going on."

"You're lying. Just like him. Just like everyone around here. Always lying. Always telling me that I'm doing a good job, that you're glad I'm on this ship. But none of that's true. Why can't you just say it? You're jealous that I broke the transwarp barrier, and now you're hoping I'll die!" He argued. Getting more and more agitated.

"You're right, Doctor. I don't think there's anything I can do here." She said. Turning away from Tom.

"Wait, Captain." He called out. "I'm sorry. Please come back. I know you're doing what you can. It's just, I'm scared. I didn't mean to lash out at you."

"What you're going through would scare any of us, but you have to hang on, Tom. We're doing everything we can to help you."

"I know you are. And I know you'll fail!" He yelled, lunging at the Captain but bouncing off the force field. Falling to the ground and started chuckling like a mad man. "You know, I used to look up to you. But now you seem so small, so insignificant. You don't even know what, what, what-"

He started chocking and then reached into his mouth, yanking out his tongue. Micheal, Sarah, and I gagged and backed farther away from him. Disgusted as he threw his tongue to the floor.

"Doctor...keep me updated." She said softly and swiftly left sickbay as Kes logged onto her console.

"Doctor, the rate of genetic mutation has accelerated by twelve percent." She reported.

"I want you to run a nucleogenic scan to determine how much of his original DNA is left intact. In the meantime, I'm going to see about treating him with-"

"Doctor!" Tom yelled as he sat on the floor, holding his feet with a cheeky grin with what teeth he had left.

"What is it now, Mister Paris?" He asked in annoyance.

"I need to talk." He announced.

"So I've noticed. Is it urgent? I'm rather busy right now." He snapped back.

"Urgent. Yes, urgent. Let me out of here." He demanded.

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Please. I can't stay here. I have to get off this ship." He pleaded.

"Leave Voyager? Why?" Kes pitched in.

"I understand. It's all so clear now."

"What do you understand?"

"That he has lost his goddamn mind." I muttered. Getting snickers from Micheal and Sarah.

"The present, the past, they're both in the future. The future is in the past." He explained.

"What does that mean?" Micheal asked quietly.

"I have no idea. Like I said before, he is insane." I whispered back.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Listen to me! I am more. I'm everything. Let me go." He yelled again.

"Go where, Tom?"

"I can't! Please. Please!"

"Something tells me we'd better hurry."

-----

Chakotay's POV

"I believe the answer lies in forcing his DNA to revert to its original coding. Once that occurs, his body should return to its former state." The Doctor explained on the monitor in sickbay.

"How do we do that?" I asked.

"We destroy all of the new DNA in his body. His cells will have to use the original coding as a blueprint. But the only way to destroy the mutant DNA is with highly focused antiproton radiation." He replied.

"Antiprotons?" B'Elanna repeated. "The only place on this ship which generates antiprotons is the warp core."

"Exactly. I'd like to place Mister Paris in an isotopic restraint and then infuse it with controlled antiproton bursts. A tricky venture, but I see no other alternative." He insisted.

"We'll have to take the warp core offline, then I'll need about three hours to set up an interface."

"In three hours, there won't be anything left of Mister Paris to save. We have to make the attempt within an hour, at the most."

"Get moving." Janeway ordered.

-----

(One hour later)

Bini Filters's POV

"I am serious. Stop following me!" I ordered as I attached my phaser to my belt and stormed down the corridor. Micheal pulled on my sleeve as Sarah did her little waddle after us.

"You are our inside info person! Tell us what is happening! Why are you going to engineering?"

I spun around and glared at them with irritation.

"It's classified. How's that for information?" I spat at them.

"Fine. Then we will just have to follow you." Micheal snapped.

"Yeah!" Sarah backed up.

"No! I have a job to do! Go away!" I argued and continued down the corridor. But. Of course. They followed me. We continued to bicker and argue as we entered engineering. I joined the two security officers near Tom, who was encased in a whole-body restraint.

"He...is a frog." Sarah commented at the...thing. He did kinda look like a human frog.

"What's your status, Lieutenant?" The Doctor asked from the engineering monitor.

"The interface is charged and ready." B'Elanna reported.

"Infuse him with a two-second antiproton burst."

"Take the warp engines offline. Bleed off point zero five seven AMUs of antiproton radiation. Shunt it through the interface." B'Elanna ordered the engineering crew.

"Transfer underway." Ensign Jonas replied beside her. We, security, watched Tom as he struggled to get out of the restraint.

"Doctor," Kes called out in the background of sickbay. "The mutated DNA in his liver cells has begun to deteriorate, but the original coding isn't taking over."

"I don't understand. This should be working. We'll have to increase the duration of the bursts. Lieutenant, prepare a five second burst. Also, you'll need to begin depolarising the-"

Suddenly, Tom busted from his container. Slamming Ayala backward.

Oh, shit. This might be bad. The Ensign beside me grabbed the children and started firing at Tom as she yelled at them to run. I yanked out my own phaser and followed her. Diving under the console B'Elanna was at.

"Oh, my God!" She exclaimed. Yanking out her own phaser and firing at Tom.

"Lieutenant?" The Doctor asked. B'Elanna ducked under her console as phaser fire flew from the engineering crew and now, Tom.

"Filters! Get more damn security!" She yelled and ran from the console. Using her Klingon strength and slamming into Tom. Micheal and Sarah were forced out of engineering by the lone ensign. Once she got them out, she joined the fight.

Tom threw B'Elanna, slamming her against the console. Knocking her out instantly. I tapped my combadge as I fired another shot.

"Filters to Tuvok. We are going to need more security down here!" I yelled

"Ensign!? What's happening?" The Doctor asked. I ignored him because I and everyone else in this room have better things to do. We need to take down a frogman...Hahaaha. Frogman.

"I got him! I got him!" A crewman yelled once he jumped on Tom's back as a few engineering officers tried to shut down the radiation. Tom knocked the engineer to the floor and shot at the monitor. Knocking off the communication with sickbay.

Think. Think, think, think, think, think.

Now my head hurts.

I made a split-second decision and fired, right at Tom's head. He staggered back, crocking like a damn frog. I got cocky and pulled away from my hiding spot. Firing at his head. Until I got within an arm's length, which is probably what he was waiting for because this...this werdio just smacked me right in the head. He is surprisingly strong because I went flying over the console and hit the back wall. I groaned and watched as he fired a shot at me, hitting me right in the chest.

Geez, I am already down. Don't overkill me please.

My vision started to go blurry as Tom fired a shot at the port plasma conduit. Causing a big explosion. I was too knocked out to care and slumped to the ground. Lossing consciousness.

"This is a Level three Security Alert. All hands report to duty stations."

-----

Captain Kathryn Janeway's POV

"Janeway to Bridge. Report." I barked on the combadge as I hurried down deck six.

"Chakotay here. Paris broke out of confinement in Engineering." Chakotay started. "He used a phaser on the port plasma conduit. We have power failures all over the ship."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"We're having trouble tracking him. We can't get power to the internal sensors. Tuvok has security teams searching deck by deck."

"I'm on my way to the Bridge. Janeway out."

The turbolift door opened. I suddenly heard breathing. Deep unnatural breathing. I slowly drew my phaser as it got closer and closer-Now!

I spun around, ready to hit him. But it was too late. I fired but barely missed. Tom hit me, slamming me against the turbo lift wall. My vision went blurred as I hit the ground hard. Tom leaned over me as everything went dark.

-----

Harry Kim's POV

"Phaser discharge on deck six." I reported as the bridge lost power.

"Localise it." Chakotay barked.

"I'm still having trouble with internal sensors. It came from somewhere between sections twenty-one and twenty-seven alpha." I reported.

"Tuvok doesn't have any security in that area." Chakotay muttered and quickly tapped his combadge. "Chakotay to Tuvok. We think Paris may be on deck six. Deploy security to sections twenty one through twenty-seven alpha."

"Commander, someone's depressurizing shuttlebay two." I exclaimed in a panic.

"What?"

"There's a launch in progress."

"Tractor beam." He ordered.

"It's offline." I replied.

"Tuvok to Bridge." Tuvok's voice announced. "We found the Captain's phaser on deck six, but there's no sign of her."

On the viewscreen we watched as the shuttle left Voyager and jumped to warp.

"Maintain a sensor lock on that shuttle." Chakotay ordered.

"I've got main power back." I announced as my console lit up a bit more.

"Engage warp engines. Follow them."

"Aye, Commander."

Then, in the blink of an eye. They were gone. Voyager couldn't go after them once they reached warp 10.

-----

Bini Filters's POV

(Time: 11:42pm)

I yawned as I was laying on the Captain's sofa. I was in charge of babysitting basically while everyone looks for the Captain and Tom. I yawned again and stared at the padd in my hands. What the hell was I supposed to report? Frogman Tom Paris single-handedly took out security and engineering! Granted, I wasn't in charge of the security detail but like...What? Just...What?

"Bini?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Micheal at the doorway of their room, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Umm. Micheal? What's up?" I asked. Sitting up on the sofa and moving a little to let Micheal sit down. He hobbled over to me and took a quick look at my padd.

"What are you doin?" He asked. I sighed and tossed the padd to the table.

"I was trying to write a report on what the hell went wrong in engineering, tell me, Micheal. How the fuck am I supposed to write a report on Mr. Frogman barrelling down engineering, taking out everyone in his path. Like what the hell was I supposed to do? I tried, man. I really tried to take him down, Micheal. I shot him right in the head, multiple times. If he doesn't go down from that, it's over." I ranted. We shared a moment of silence in the darkness. Feeling the warp engines under our feet. At full blast.

"Do you think...Mommy will become...a frog lady?" Micheal asked. I started snickering. I really couldn't help myself. "Bini. I am being serious."

"Yes. Your mother...*Snicker* will be...*Chuckle*...A frog lady." I replied, Micheal glared at me, but then he started chuckling as the...reallity of the situation hit him at warp.

"Hahaha, frog lady!" Micheal roared and doubled over in laughter.

"Oh my god! Oh my god, I can't!" I said and kept laughing as tears streamed down our faces.

(First Officer's log, stardate 49373.4. It's taken us three days to locate the shuttle. It appears to have dropped out of transwarp in an uninhabited star system. We've transported the Captain and Mister Paris back to Sickbay. As for their offspring, I've decided to leave them in their new habitat.)

---Next Day---

Micheal, Sarah and I stood in sickbay after having Chakotay just inform us that they found the Captain and Tom on a planet. They...They had offspring and Chakotay, real genius over here, left them on the planet. What? Just...how? Why?

"They had triplets. Oh geez." I muttered, we looked across the sickbay to the Captain and Tom. "You guys had siblings. Up until...What...One hour ago?"

"My mommy...and Tom. That...That's not right." Micheal replied.

"I don't feel so good." Sarah muttered.

I watched Chakotay carefully. He seemed to also not like the idea of Tom and the Captain together. He was tense and seemed to give Tom a glare of hatred. I know what Chakotay and Tom don't really like each other, but this goes beyond just their mutual dislike.

I think...Chakotay is jealous of Tom.

Oh...no...

No.

How do I get caught up in these things?

I looked to Tom and Janeway. They were having a hushed conversation, beside each other on one biobed. Tom was blushing and seemed to be stumbling on his words. The Captain seemed composed, which is something I would expect. She was probably trained in this.

You know what, forget that, I just need to wipe this entire week from my brain.

Also, seriously? Offspring? What is this? A 20th century TV show? I need to stop hanging out with Tom.

---End of Chapter 51: Next: ???---