Tom Paris yawned. That away mission had exhausted him. He’d been certain he was going to bust a gut when that squirrel being had chased Carey around the clearing trying to kiss him. Damn, that had been funny. Picking up his egg box. He was about to put it back on the shelf when he suddenly got an extreme urge to look at it again. Taking it out he blinked. Ok, now he knew he was tired. He was certain that the egg had been the size of a chicken’s egg. Now it was the size of an eagle’s egg. Before his wondering eyes it shivered and-grew. Blinking his mouth fell open in an adorable expression of shock. Eggs didn’t grow. Did they? Maybe he should ask the Doc, maybe there’s normal explanation. ‘Or maybe you’ve finally gone off your rocker Tommy-Boy.’ a voice in his head sneered. Ignoring it he commed the Doctor.

            “Please state the nature of your medical emergency.”

            “Doc, it’s Tom Paris, do eggs grow?”

            “What?” The Doctor asked, confused.

            “Eggs, once they’ve been laid, do they grow?”

            “Of course not.” The Doctor snapped, annoyed.

            “Oh.”

            “Why?”

            “Because my egg just grew.”

            “What?”

            “My egg, it just grew. There, it did it again.” The egg was now the size of an Ostrich’s egg.

            “What egg Mr. Paris?”

            “The one my friend Billy gave to me when I was eight. I kept it in a box. It was the size of a Raven’s egg. But it isn’t anymore.”

            “Perhaps you and the egg ought to come to sickbay, and I’ll scan the both of you.”

            “Yeah, maybe it’s not really an egg. Yeah I’ll be there in a second.”

****

            The Doctor ran a medical tricorder over the egg, which was now roughly the size of a dinosaur’s egg. “There is definitely something alive in there. What I’m not sure. Where did you say you found it again?”

            “Reclusitte, it’s beautiful, well known for it’s vegetation. But uninhabited by any sentient species. For some reason no one wants to colonize it.”

            “Hmm, well I haven’t found anything in the medical database. Perhaps—”

            He stopped as the egg began shaking violently. Both of the men stared as a crack began forming on the surface of the egg.

**Unbeknownst to our befuddled hero**

            In a shadowy room a group of cloaked figures gathered together.

            “The Hatching has begun.” observed one.

            “The Guardian is confused.”

            “He will learn. He is the Guardian. He will know what to do when The One Who Will Become Many comes. He will know what to do.”