TOM AND B'ELANNA'S COURTSHIP, page 4

 

 

#112 COURSE OBLIVION

What happens in this story happens to the duplicate crew of Voyager, including Tom and B'Elanna. But it is nice to think that the real Tom and B'Elanna will end up getting married. For the marriage proposal, see page 5 [#149 Drive].

 

 

#115 JUGGERNAUT

In [#115 Juggernaut] Tom bids B'Elanna farewell before she boards the Malon vessel in a bid to disable it.

 

 

#116 SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

When Torres notes Seven observing them closely, Paris becomes alarmed at the way the exchange between Torres and Seven progresses. Torres: "Enjoying the view?" Seven: "Explain." Torres: "You've been staring at us all night. In fact you were following us yesterday when we were walking to engineering, and the day before when I was waiting for Tom outside the shuttlebay." Seven: "You are correct. I have been observing you, as part of my research on human mating behaviour." Torres, reading Seven's notes: "'Stardate 52647, 1400 hours. Subjects quarrel in corridor outside female's quarters. Male returns with 12 flowering plant stems species rosa rubifolia effecting a cessation of hostilities. Stardate 52648, 0300 hours: intimate relations resume-' How the hell do you know when we're having intimate relations?" Seven: "There is no one on deck 9 section 12 who doesn't know when you're having intimate relations." Neelix: "Is there a problem?" Torres: "I want all the data you've collected." Seven: "I haven't completed the study." Torres: "Then study this: Borg provokes Klingon. Klingon breaks Borg nose." Neelix: "B'Elanna!" Torres to Neelix: "Call sickbay. Tell them there's about to be a medical emergency." Paris: "B'Elanna, let's go and have a nightcap." Torres to Seven: "This time you've crossed the line."

 

 

#123 BARGE OF THE DEAD

Torres about to return to the Barge of the Dead Torres' mother

Torres resolves her rejection of her Klingon heritage and is reconciled with her mother. She achieves this by playing out in her subconscious the rescue of her mother from the Barge of the Dead which is transporting her to the Klingon hell in the afterlife. Paris believes that deliberately going into a coma in order to play out the scenario is dangerous. Torres prepares to return to the Barge of the Dead. Paris: "I can't believe the captain is allowing this. One minute you're in a coma, the next you're a born-again Klingon? I,I just don't get it." Torres: "I'm not sure I get it either. I just know this is something I have to do." Paris: "There's to to be an easier way for you Surely there must be another way to explore your spirituality? Go to church or something?" Torres: "It wouldn't be enough." Paris: "Look, I'll read the scrolls. I'll learn Klingon. We'll figure this out. Together." Torres: "Next time." Paris: "Just hope there is a next time."

 

 

#125 ALICE

Alice, restored by Tom Paris Paris tells her not to touch Alice's controls.

Paris becomes obsessed with restoring a small derelict spaceship bartered from Abaddon, a dodgy secondhand dealer. He names the ship Alice, after Alice Battisti, a Starfleet Academy colleague who was "smart, sexy and wouldn't give me the time of day". But Alice takes on human form - smart, sexy - and willingly exerts mental pressure on Paris through her neurogenic interface. Alice's aim is to get flying and return home; home is a particle fountain. When he has finished restoring Alice, he and Torres christen her with champagne. Torres says, "So, I finally get to meet the other woman." In the cockpit: Torres: "That's some voice." Paris: "It came with the ship. You jealous?" Torres: "Maybe I should be. I hear you've been sleeping here." Paris: "When Alice lets me sleep." Torres: "Sounds like a real slave-driver." Paris does not answer: he is too busy attending to Alice. Torres feels neglected. When she tries to help, Paris rejects her help. Paris: "Well, thanks, but we're fine." Torres: "'We'? It's a ship, Tom!" Paris: "Yeah, but she's my ship." Torres: "Well, maybe I'll leave the two of you alone." Paris, obviously concentrating only on Alice: "Okay, I'll see you later."

Torres: "So maybe you can explain why every time he [Paris] finds a new hobby I go right out the airlock." Kim: "I wouldn't take it personally. The Ferengi call it the five stages of acquisition: infatuation, justification, appropriation, obsession, and re-sale. Seems like you've only got one more stage left before he loses interest in that ship, then he's all yours again." Torres: "Until the next infatuation."

Torres finds Alice alone on the hangar deck and finds evidence that Paris has been taking parts for Alice. Curious, she enters Alice and activates the controls. Alice seals the door and starts venting the atmosphere. Torres cannot raise anyone on her combadge. She bangs against the window, calling for help. Paris arrives just in time and Torres rushes out of Alice and away from the hangar deck.

Paris: "What the hell happened in there?"
Torres: "Your ship tried to kill me!"
Paris: "That's ridiculous!"
Torres: "It sealed the hatch, vented the atmosphere-"
Paris: "You must have accidentally tripped the environmental controls-"
Torres: "Don't you try to tell me this was an accident!"
Paris: "What else could it have been?"
Torres: "How about 'pilot error'!"
Paris: "Are you saying that this was my fault?"
Torres: "What's gotten into you? You've been stealing components, Tom. I found the power cells."
Paris: "A few spare parts. You're over-reacting."
Torres: "Am I?"
Paris: "Where are you going?"
Torres: "To talk to the captain."
Paris: "Wait-"
Torres: "There's something wrong with you."
Paris: "Listen to me!!"
Torres: "Are you out of your mind?!"

Paris: "Stay out of this, B'Elanna!" Torres: "Or what? You'll set Alice on me again?"

Alice: "Let her go." Paris: "What were you thinking?! You could've killed her!" Alice: "She broke into my database. She could've discovered our flight plan, not that it matters ... Once your girlfriend talks to the captain they'll drag you straight to sickbay. One neural scan and they'll know all about us."

Torres enters Paris' mind Torres "appears" beside Paris Alice personified

Alice tortures Paris into leaving Voyager in Alice. Janeway has Torres enter Paris's mind via a computer linkup in order to distract him while Tuvok taps into Alice's systems. Alice: "I knew you were the one. No one's ever gotten me this close before." Paris: "I'll have you home in just a few minutes." Alice: "I promise you won't be disappointed." Torres appears beside Tom - she is tapping into Paris' brain. Torres: "Don't believe her." Paris: "Where's Alice?" Torres: "There is no Alice. She's a pile of circuits. You're letting a program delude you." Tuvok accesses Alice's main computer. Paris: "You don't understand. This is what I've always dreamed of!" Torres: "You're still dreaming and when you wake up you're in for a big surprise." Paris: "Alice needs me." Torres: "So do I." Alice: "Nice sentiment but it's a lie. Your family will do anything to keep us apart. Don't listen to them." Torres: "Tom, it's me, B'Elanna. Alice is an illusion." Alice: "I'm giving you something you always wanted. Something they could never do. Does that sound like an illusion?" Paris: "I can't think. Leave me alone, both of you!" Alice: "They've accessed our systems. They're trying to disable my shields. Stop them!" Torres: "Focus on me. Listen to me." Alice: "My shields are failing. Do something!" Torres: "It's time to come home." Paris: "No!" Paris is beamed back to Voyager. Tuvok reports that Alice has lost helm control. Alice plunges into the particle fountain and is destroyed.

Paris: "I'm sorry. For everything." Torres: "It wasn't your fault." Paris: "But I remember all of it. Everything I said, everything I did. Looks like I was sleep-walking." Torres: "The important thing is you woke up." Paris: "Thanks for being my alarm clock." Torres: "Any time." Paris: "From now on, I promise no more affairs with strange ships." Torres: "What about the Delta Flyer?" Paris: "We're just friends."

Beam to article: Alice the Ship.