SPIRIT FOLK
Episode 137
Part A
 | In USS Voyager's holodeck, Tom Paris, in a vintage motor vehicle, drives into the holographic Irish village of Fair Haven. But he has not quite got the hang of the controls! He hoots and shouts: "Get out of the way!" Everyone scrambles. As he causes mayhem, he shouts: "Sorry!" |
 | Paris crashes! |
 | Seamus Driscol, a holographic inhabitant of the village, rushes toward him and helps him from the crashed vehicle. "Did you hurt yourself, Tommy boy?"
Paris: "I think I zigged when I should've zagged."
He examines the twisted wheel that has come off the car.
Seamus: "Well, maybe you should stick to a horse and carriage."
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 | Seamus: "Still, she's a beauty. The world must be treating you well to afford such a thing."
Paris: "Er, just dipping into my inheritance."
Seamus becomes very interested. "Oh, come into some money, did yer? So who's passed on?"
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 | Paris thinks quickly. "Erm, my grandfather on my mother's side, an aristocrat, God rest his soul."
Seamus: "Sounds like he was a fine man." Wheedling, unsubtlely, palm out: "I'd drink a toast to him if I had a shilling to my name."
Paris chuckles. "Here." He places a few coins in the outstretched palm. "It's on me."
Seamus looks at the coins and protests: "It'll take three pints to do a proper job, Tommy boy, and this isn't even enough for two."
Paris hands him more. "There. That's all I've got." |
Seamus: "You're a generous lad. Care to join me at Sullivan's?"
Paris: "Oh, I wish I could, but I'm on my way to Castle O'Dell."
Seamus is wary. "Night's coming, and they say when the sun goes down the queen of the faery folk reclaims the castle."
But his warning tone does not bother Paris at all. "I'll give her your regards."
Seamus: "Don't say I didn't warn you."
 | Seamus goes to leave. Paris, not aware that Seamus is still watching him: "Computer, replace damaged tyre." |
 | The computer does so. |
 | Seamus is astonished! He crosses himself. "Saints preserve us!"
|
 | Seamus is enjoying being the centre of attention in Sullivan's pub as he regales the tale, his throat well-lubricated by drink.
Seamus: "I thought I would die from the shock of it."
Michael Sullivan: "Now Seamus, you're not a great one for telling things the way they were."
Seamus: "I'll admit I've been known to add a little colour to stories from time to time to liven things up. But as God is my witness, I saw Tom Paris using unnatural powers to fix that wheel of his!"
Sullivan: "Tommy boy practising unholy magic. Next thing you'll be telling me is: you want to pay for your own drinks."
This gets a big laugh.
Seamus: "Make fun if you like, but he was heading up to Castle O'Dell only an hour before dark."
Doc Fitzgerald: "Oh leave it alone, Seamus. Can't one day go by without you making an arse of yourelf?"
Milo: "But that Tom Paris is an odd one, coming and going through town as if he built the place." He does not realise that in fact, Tom Paris did build the place, as Fair Haven is a holoprogram of Paris'.
Seamus: "That's right. And where does he go?"
Milo: "Oh, he's a shifty one. So, for that matter, are his friends."
Sullivan: "If you're talking about Katie O'Clare you'd better watch your tongue."
Seamus: "Oh, well you know what they say, Sullivan: 'Birds of a feather....'"
Sullivan: "They also say: 'Superstitution is the religion of fools'."
Seamus: "Kilmanin, 1846."
Sullivan: "What?"
Milo: "Old Patsy down at County Meath spoke of a band of spirit folk who came to Kilmanin in '46."
Sullivan: "Kilmanin. Did you ever hear of it, Doc?"
Doc Fitzgerald: "No, this is the first."
Milo: "You won't find it on any map, not any more."
Seamus: "It was a town not much different from Fair Haven, that is until this group of strangers arrived. The townsfolk welcomed them with open arms. After all, "a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet." But they regretted their hospitality soon enough."
Milo relishes the telling. "The cows stopped giving milk! Potatoes grew rotten in the ground!"
Seamus: "Then people started to go missing."
Doc Fitzgerald: "Oh go on."
Seamus: "It's true!"
Sullivan: "What happened to them?"
Milo: "They were taken, to the Other World!"
Seamus: "When winter came and the nights grew longer, the entire town vanished, every post, every nail, poof! into thin air, never to be seen again."
Doc Fitzgerald: "Are you suggesting that Fair Haven's going to go the way of Kilmanin just because we have a few new folks in town?"
Seamus: "I'm suggesting that you keep an eye on Tom Paris and his cohorts, not to mention that lady friend of yours."
Sullivan: "So Katie is some kind of goblin now, is that it?"
Seamus: "She's certainly cast a spell on you."
Milo: "Well, if you ask me-"
They stop as Kathryn Janeway, in her persona of Katie O'Clare, enters the pub.
Sullivan hurries toward her. "Katie!"
The townsfolk are courteous to her as the discussion breaks up, one woman saying: "Good day to you, Katie."
Janeway: "Am I interrupting?"
Sullivan: "Ah, just some nonsense - Seamus is up to his old tricks again. Ah, it's good to see you. What'll it be?"
Janeway takes a seat at the bar: "The usual, please."
Sullivan hurries round behind the bar. "Well, one cup of tea coming right up. Did you snatch any children on your way into town, Katie?"
Seamus, who is listening, makes a face, knowing that Sullivan is having a dig at him.
Janeway: "What?"
Sullivan: "Never mind. I missed your smile. What have you been doing with yourself?"
Janeway: "Nothing terribly exciting. Just helping my aunt and uncle out on the farm. They're not as spry as they used to be, but they've got a goat that could argue Mossie Donegan's talking pig under the table."
Sullivan: "You'll have to bring it into the bar the next time you're up. We'll arrange a debate."
Janeway: "I'll see that I do. I hear they opened a nickelodeon in Doolin. I thought it might be nice to go to a show."
Sullivan is disappointed. "I've got to tend the bar. I wish you'd let me know you were coming. I would've made arrangements."
Janeway: "It's alright. We can go some other time."
Sullivan: "No, you've already made the trip. It would be a shame if you had to leave."
Janeway: "Well, I could be convinced to stay, if you'd be up for a game of-" She stops as he produces.... "rings." Grinning, she takes them from him. "Let's go!"
|
 | USS Voyager cruising in space. |
 | In Voyager's messhall, Kim orders the port-side replicator: "Computer, one dozen Broadway lilies."  replicator The lilies duly materialise. |
 | Paris arrives as Kim picks up the bouquet and smells them. "Something tells me that's not lunch."
Kim: "I already ate."
Paris: "Who're they for?"
Kim: "A friend."
Paris: "Harry, this friend wouldn't happen to be a lovely Irish lass, now would she?"
Kim is not in the mood for being teased. "Aren't you due on the bridge?"
As he turns away, Paris grabs him by the arm. "Ah, better watch yourself, Harry. These country girls aren't as simple as you think. Maggie O'Halloran could be a little more than you can handle." |
 | Kim's mood improves as he decides to give as good as he gets. "I heard about your little traffic accident."
Paris: "Now that was a clutch malfunction. It wasn't my fault."
Torres: "If you ask me, that whole program is an accident waiting to happen. You've been running Fair Haven around the clock. Just yesterday I had to replace three holo-emitters!"
Paris: "I ran a full diagnostic this morning. Everything's fine."
Torres: "Whatever you say, but when your quaint little seaside town starts to depolarise, don't come running to me." |
 | Kim: "If you'll excuse me, I'm late for a moonlight stroll."
Paris teases him: "Are you sure you don't need a chaperone?"
Kim laughs and kids him back: "Not with your driving record."
Paris kids him with a fake chuckle. Kim leaves.
|
 | A twinkle enters Paris's eyes. He tells Torres: "I think I know just what'll make his date just a little more interesting."
Torres: "Just don't blow out any more holo-emitters." |
 | Along the dark street in Fair Haven, Paris secretly follows Kim. |
 | And Seamus and Milo secretly follow Paris.
Milo: "What are we doing out here, Seamus, skulking about in the dark, spying on folks?"
Seamus: "What's the matter, Milo? Got a case of the willies?"
Milo: "Well, what if you're right. What if Tom Paris is some kind of demon? If we're caught, he'll cast a spell on us.
Seamus: "Then stop your squawking or he'll catch us for sure. Come on, man, he's getting away!" |
 | Paris, and Seamus and Milo, sneak up closer behind their respective quarries.
Meanwhile, unaware of the attention, Kim and the pretty hologram Maggie O'Halloran are enjoying a romantic stroll. Kim is telling her about his life aboard his sea ship: "A captain's only as good as his crew." The Starfleet ensign has told her he is the captain!
Maggie: "It must be lonely out there on the sea with only the stars to guide you."
Kim: "Sometimes, during the night watch, with timbers creaking and the dark water stretching out as far as the eye can see, you can believe you're the only man in the world."
Maggie: "Maybe you should think about settling down on dry land."
Kim: "Well, believe me, I do, as often as I think of you." |
 | Maggie: "May I ask you something, Harry?"
Kim: "Of course."
Maggie: "Would you like to hold my hand?"
Kim: "If you promise to hold mine back." and holds out his hand for hers. |
 | Paris makes a face at Kim's response which he thinks is corny. |
Thanks to for the page backgrounds and buttons from the set Shamrock.
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