Angel of Mercy Page 3

  and let the child sip as much as she would take. She lost interest

  after a few gulps. He took a long drink himself, then poured a

  trickle of the cool water down each side of his neck to cool his

  throat and chest then brushed a moistened hand across his brow.

  Unused to this kind of heat, he was sweating profusely and could feel

  the tingle of a sunburn beginning. Taking off his jacket meant his

  arms and shoulders would also be exposed, but there was sunscreen in

  his medkit and better to get a sunburn than risk dropping from heat

  stroke.

  His small companion reached toward a nearby bush heavy with purple

  berries growing on it in clusters. "Ju Ju!" the child chanted, hands

  outstretched, fingers wiggling.

  "You're hungry?" Tom said. "I should have expected that." He got to

  his feet, using his tricorder to scan the prospective snack. "These

  berries don't seem to be poisonous. For my blood chemistry anyway. I

  don't know about yours."

  He eyed her dubiously. "Would a little kid know what she could eat?

  Maybe. A Human child would. Maybe. I vaguely remember trying to eat

  crayons once." He tried running a scan on her. "I think it would be

  safe for you." He plucked a berry and tasted it. "Not too bad."

  The child bounced up and down, repeating, "Ju Ju!"

  "Okay. Try one." Paris offered her a single berry. She was

  obviously familiar with them. He watched as she popped it into her

  mouth and then grinned at him triumphantly, holding up her fat little

  paw for another. "Ju Ju! Jubry!"

  "Hey! You even know what they're called, I guess," Paris said,

  handing her another berry. It didn't last long either. She finished

  another eight before refusing any more. Tom ate several himself,

  relishing the sweet tartness.

  He dug the sunscreen out of the medkit and sprayed his face, arms,

  shoulders, chest, and neck. The little Kastini crinkled her nose,

  made a face, and sneezed. "Oh, you don't like the smell? Too bad.

  It only comes in coconut. I wonder why sunscreens always smell like

  coconut? Tradition? Never mind." He stowed everything in the pack

  and shouldered it. "Come on, sweetheart. We need to get you home."

  His last tricorder readings indicated the Kastini settlement was no

  more than a kilometer away. Hopefully all downhill.

  Paris heard a noise in the trees to the right of the path. Something

  was coming. Something big. He whipped the tricorder out again,

  scanning quickly. Some kind of massive animal. And getting closer.

  He only had moments. Spotting a tree limb dangling over the path, Tom

  put the child on the limb and tied her in place using the sleeves of

  his jacket then he grabbed his phaser, putting himself squarely

  between the animal and the child.

  The creature broke through the bushes. It was huge, resembling a

  cross between a bear and a small elephant, and it had a nasty

  attitude. The beast reared back, waving its large claws and flashing

  sharp, pointed teeth as it roared a challenge in Paris' direction and

  walked forward on its back legs.

  For a split second, Tom froze. Then fired his phaser.

  Nothing happened. He should have expected that. "Argh!" he growled

  in exasperation. Throwing the useless phaser aside, he grabbed the

  biggest stick within easy reach, clenched his teeth, and braced

  himself for the attack.

  The animal hesitated for a moment, studying its unfamiliar prey. It

  roared again and wavered forward a few more steps.

  Maybe he could scare it away? Paris shouted, waving the stick

  menacingly.

  The animal slowly dropped to all fours and paused in its movement. It

  sniffed the air and Tom could have sworn it wrinkled its nose with

  distaste before taking off through the bushes and disappearing back

  the way it had come.

  He couldn't believe it. Incredible. He picked up the tricorder. No,

  it really was moving away. Tom shook his head and turned to look at

  the child who was watching him curiously and apparently unafraid. "I

  guess you were right. He didn't like the smell of sunscreen either."

  Taking a deep breath of relief and ignoring the way his hands were

  shaking, Tom untied the child and set her on the ground while he

  gathered up his equipment and backpack and prepared to move on once

  more.

  As he picked her up, he asked, "Now what?"

  He didn't expect an answer, but he got one. Looking into his face

  delightedly, she patted his cheeks. "Da-da! Da-da!"

  Tom felt his jaw drop and his eyes widen. "Please, tell me that

  doesn't mean the same thing in your language as it does in mine!"

  "Da-da!" she crowed.

  "No, no, no!" Tom said hastily. "Not Da-da! Uncle! Uncle Tommy!

  Can you say Uncle?"

  "Da-da!"

  "No! Uncle!" He tried to sound stern.

  "Da-da!"

  "Can you say Tommy?" he asked hopefully.

  "Da-da!"

  "Tom?" he sighed.

  "Da-da!"

  Paris surrendered. If this was a battle of wills, he didn't have

  enough will to win. He just hoped no one else heard about this. His

  exaggerated reputation as a playboy was bad enough. If it got around

  that he'd become the father of an alien child, in less than six hours

  at that, he'd be in hot water. He probably was already in it up to

  his neck. When he'd asked permission to leave the path, he hadn't

  expected to be out of contact for so long. With that thought, Paris

  decided to try again. He slapped his commbadge. "Paris to Chakotay."

  Nothing.

  "Paris to *Voyager*."

  Nothing again.

  He smiled at the little cherub who was carefully and delicately

  exploring the lines of his face with her soft chubby paws. She beamed

  back at him.

  "I guess we better get you home." He made a face at her. She

  chortled with laughter. To the child's delight, he went through his

  entire repertoire of funny faces as he walked toward the city. He'd

  never had a more appreciative audience.

  # # #

  At exactly 1600, Ygaral returned to the Council Chamber. The four

  away team members eagerly turned to face him. Three of them had been

  working hard to keep their imaginations in check, to keep from

  inventing horrors that Tom might be enduring. Tuvok was attempting to

  analyze the problem with the tricorders and the manner in which they'd

  been caused to malfunction so that he could devise a solution to

  prevent a reoccurrence.

  Ygaral's whole manner had changed since they'd last seen him. He

  seemed genuinely cordial. "I wish to congratulate you, Commander

  Chakotay."

  "Where's Tom?" Torres demanded. "Did he pass your test?"

  Ygaral nodded and smiled in a friendly manner, though the sharp teeth

  that showed as a result was less than a comforting image and did

  little to put the humans at ease. "As a matter of fact, we've never

  tested anyone with a higher score than your Lieutenant Paris."

  "Where is he?" Harry Kim asked. "Can we see him?"

  "He should be here momentarily," Ygaral said.

  As if on cue, the doors to the Council Cham
ber swung open and Nguri

  ushered in a tired, dirty, disheveled Tom Paris. He was carrying a

  Kastini toddler and looked perfectly healthy except for the tinge of

  sunburn on his cheeks and neck and upper shoulders. His

  sweat-dampened hair was a rumpled, red-gold halo curling above his

  pink face, but to the away team, he'd never looked better.

  "Tom, are you all right?" Harry asked, moving forward to relieve his

  friend of his pack.

  Paris was taken aback by the fervency of the question. "Sure, Harry.

  Sorry I took so long, Commander. It was a one-way street so I took

  the long way around." In the background, he could hear Tuvok

  notifying the Captain of his safe return. It was beginning to sink in

  with Paris that the others had been worried about him.

  Torres was so angry he'd worried them, yet so relieved he wasn't hurt,

  she didn't know whether she wanted to hit him or kiss him. Maybe

  neither. Maybe both. "Where have you been?" she snarled. "Why did

  you wander off alone?"

  "I didn't wander off," Tom protested. "I told Chakotay I heard

  something. He waved me off to go investigate. You must have heard

  me."

  Chakotay shook his head and gazed at Ygaral. The Councilor smiled.

  "A deception on our part, Lieutenant. You thought you had permission

  to leave the group because we deceived you. An illusion. Due to a

  similar illusion, your shipmates believed that you were following

  them, but in reality you were separated from the others within minutes

  of your arrival."

  "What? Sorry, Commander. I thought--"

  "That's okay, Paris. I'm glad you're all right. Who's your friend?"

  Chakotay asked as he drew nearer and flashed a smile at the child.

  "I don't know her name," Tom began.

  With perfect timing, the child patted Tom's cheek softly, possessively

  saying, "Da-da!"

  "She thinks that's your name?" Harry rolled his eyes.

  Torres snorted. "Even you don't work that fast, hotshot!"

  Paris fervently hoped his blush would be lost in his sunburn.

  "I don't know," Chakotay teased. "Did you notice her eyes?"

  Harry and B'Elanna stepped forward to take a look, but the child had a

  fit of shyness and buried her face in Tom's neck. He patted her back

  gently. "That's okay, sweetheart. They're just being funny.

  Councilor Ygaral, could you help me locate her family? I think her

  mother--"

  "Of course, Lieutenant," the Councilor said, snapping his fingers at

  his assistant who scurried to open another door.

  A female Kastini approached, her own brilliant blue eyes sparkling.

  The child immediately tried to dive into her arms. As she caught the

  child to her body she smiled at Paris. "Thank you for caring for

  Tukara. She is my child."

  "Da-da!" Tukara said, pointing to Tom emphatically and beaming a smile

  in his direction.

  "What's that she's saying?" Torres asked with false solicitude. "Does

  that mean father?"

  The woman laughed. "No, of course not. In our language, in her baby

  talk, the word *da-da* means pretty."

  Chakotay, Harry, and B'Elanna burst out laughing.

  Tom hadn't thought he had another blush in him, but felt the heat

  rushing up his neck. Pretty? She thinks I'm pretty? he thought.

  That's all I need! That's worse for my reputation than being called

  daddy!

  Ygaral made a dismissive gesture to Tukara's mother and Tom, a wistful

  expression crossing his face, watched mother and child disappear

  through a nearby doorway. She was a cute kid. "Lieutenant Paris, it

  was a pleasure testing you. I was telling your commander that your

  score is the highest received since the testing was incorporated into

  our protocols for dealing with other cultures."

  "Testing? I was being tested?" Paris said, exhausted and puzzled. He

  fought off a yawn.

  "Yes. I'm sure you're tired and would like refreshments before we go

  over the test results. Please be seated."

  Moments later the *Voyager* team was seated around the conference

  table with plentiful refreshments for their enjoyment. Ygaral punched

  a button and a viewscreen appeared on the wall. "Perhaps it would be

  simpler to let you watch the Lieutenant's test and explain our scoring

  system as we go." At the touch of another button, the screen lit up

  and a two-dimensional recording began to play.

  Though Paris had never detected any sign of surveillance equipment,

  his every action and word since he had left the away team had been

  recorded. The away team watched as Paris trudged through the jungle

  to reach the ravine and rescue the child.

  When he started up the tree, Harry caught on to his plan immediately.

  "Tom, you didn't!"

  Paris shrugged nonchalantly. It felt strange to be watching himself.

  It was embarrassing. Now they'd all be second-guessing him.

  "Bun in a twist?" Chakotay mouthed, raising an eyebrow.

  Paris smiled weakly.

  Torres caught her breath. To the observers, it was clear just how

  close Tom had come to NOT making it across that ravine. They watched

  as he bonded immediately with the child. B'Elanna hadn't expected

  Paris to be good with children. It seemed out of character.

  As the film played out, Ygaral kept up a running commentary. "Mr.

  Paris' compassion for the child earned fifty points. Disregard the

  female body. It is merely another illusion. No one was hurt but his

  compassion for her earned another fifty points. Risking his life to

  save the child: fifty points. Now, you'll notice that he not only

  tests the food source but tries it himself before letting Tukara eat

  it. Another fifty points."

  "You ate crayons?" Harry Kim whispered.

  "Shut up, Harry!"

  They watched as the hulking beast burst out of the bushes and

  threatened Tom. "What's that?" Kim exclaimed.

  "You think it's big onscreen? You should see its teeth four meters in

  front of you," Tom muttered.

  "Shoot it!" Torres growled impatiently.

  Tom stared at her, then reached over to tap her on the arm. She

  glared at him then turned her attention back to the screen where the

  video Tom was attempting just that. When the phaser didn't work,

  B'Elanna whispered a curse.

  Tom patted her hand. "It's okay, B'Elanna. I'm here. You know this

  has a happy ending. Right?"

  "This is worse than a holonovel!" She snatched her hand away.

  "Remind me to take you to a drive-in movie sometime," Paris commented.

  "Night of the Zombies, maybe?"

  When the image of Tom wielding a stick a little over one meter long

  and two centimeters in diameter, appeared, Harry slid an awed glance

  at his friend but didn't comment. It wasn't much of a weapon against

  a person, much less an animal that size.

  Ygaral continued. "When the ragtal attacked, he defended the child at

  risk to himself. Fifty points. When he discovered his weapon was

  nonfunctional, yet still protected the child, he received a bonus of

  one hundred points."

  "It was all a test?" Paris asked. "You mean there was really no

  danger?"


  "The danger had to be real for a true test," Ygaral disagreed.

  "You left a defenseless child in the middle of nowhere--at risk of

  falling off that cliff and a target for that animal--for a test?!"

  Paris surged to his feet.

  Torres on one side and Kim on the other restrained him. They shared

  his anger, but throttling the government representative wasn't

  strictly in accord with Starfleet policy on first contacts.

  "Not at all, Mr. Paris," Ygaral replied calmly. "The *child* was

  never in danger. She was constantly monitored and under our

  protection. If you had attempted to harm her, you would have been

  stopped, possibly killed. If you had run from the ragtal without

  protecting the child, the animal would have killed you. We would not

  have interfered."

  Paris shrugged out of his friends' hands and reseated himself. "I'm

  glad you protected her. But I still say that's a stupid way to test

  people. Who wouldn't take care of a little kid?"

  Ygaral shook his head fondly, as if Paris had said something

  particularly naive or endearing. "The true test of a species' level

  of civilization is how it deals with the most helpless and innocent of

  beings. You Humans seem to have a great deal of compassion. You