SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 25

Once Paris was dressed in his full Anawin attire, he discovered he didn't really look abnormal at all. In fact, he looked very much like Kylani, which made him wonder whether all Anawin civilians were as sociable as she had been.

Tom watched B'Elanna pace the shuttle bay floor beside him in her priest outfit. As she passed by, he made a grab for her purple robe hoping he might draw her closer to him. Instead, he found his touch was unwelcome; losing his balance, he tumbled over as she struggled to make him let go.

"What did you do that for?" Tom asked.

B'Elanna glared at him. "What's keeping them?"

Tom could see her frustration building.

"Am I glad to see you," Paris directed at the captain as she entered the shuttle bay with Tayna in tow. Now he wouldn't have to confront B'Elanna's flaring temper alone.

Janeway stood beside him, while they waited for the others. Tom took in the outfit she wore. Her dress was a cream color and collected at the waist before it billowed slightly and flowed down to just above her ankles. It seemed to be made of a heavy material that reminded him of canvas. The dress was long, although the top section had short sleeves and it buttoned in a criss-cross pattern exactly the same as the buttoning pattern on his shirt. Just like him, she too carried a thick woolen jacket over her shoulder. Tom smiled at her and she smiled back. He was surprised at their likeness. Never before had he ever thought they could pass for brother and sister. The Doctor had done a remarkable job in drawing out the similarities in their appearance.

Tayna stood between him and the captain. She too wore a thickly woven long dress with a matching overcoat that included a hood to protect her from being instantly recognized. Tom thought she looked like their combined clone, in miniature. The thought drew his mind to the long-forgotten alien offspring they'd left to mature on some far-away planet. If the Doctor had been able to eliminate their mutant DNA and restore a human form, they would probably have looked a lot like Tayna. Tom patted her lightly on the head.

Then Harry arrived. He was moving very slowly. The trailing end of his purple robe was long and cumbersome and he seemed to walk with extra care, so he wouldn't trip over it. He had placed the purple hood over his head and made sure his hair and face were well covered. With every footstep, it looked as if the robe was somehow walking by itself, disembodied and faceless.

"Are you in there somewhere, Harry?" Tom joked, maneuvering the hood so he could see his friend's eyes.

Then he saw Janeway step away from the others. Silently, she ran her fingers over the outside plating of the Delta Flyer. The Flyer was going to be their lifeline.

"Let's get started," Janeway said and opened the door.

Paris climbed inside the cockpit and sat down at the helm controls. Exercising his fingers, he slid them over the conn. 

The captain claimed her chair inside the Delta Flyer.

Harry relayed that Tayna had been tightly strapped in, inside the aft section, and he was now seated beside her.

Torres pulled out a section of wiring and checked the enhancements she'd made.

"B'Elanna, I'm going to need a secure relaying link to the bridge. Something that can't be tapped into," Janeway said. 

The engines began to power up. Harry glanced at Tayna as the floor rumbled beneath their feet. There was fear on the child's face. 

"Ready, Mr. Paris?" Janeway asked and Tom nodded.

Suddenly B'Elanna stood up making the crew jump in unison with her loud cry. Her feet were firmly planted and she held her phaser extended in the direction of the mid section door.

"It's just me!" Chakotay yelled back.

"Sorry," B'Elanna said and slid her phaser back inside her purple robe. "For a moment, I didn't recognize you."

Chakotay took his seat and waited for the captain to give the signal they were ready to take flight. The seconds passed slowly. Nobody spoke and all was quiet. Chakotay turned around to look at the group. Defensively, he crossed his arms and inquired what they were all staring at.

It was very unnerving, seeing him in the bright red guard uniform with its matching hat, standard issue sonic disrupter and shiny bayonet firmly strapped around his waist.

The stares continued, but no one said anything and the silence stretched on, until finally Janeway spoke up.

"You look rather dashing, Chakotay," she said, as he shrugged his shoulders shyly. "In a kind of annihilating, henchman, sort of way."

Chakotay laughed at the words and Janeway grinned at him, before she contacted Carlson on the bridge.

"We're all here now, Lieutenant. You can start the decompression sequence."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but now would not be a good time," Carlson replied, as the Delta Flyer suddenly rocked violently inside Voyager.