Disclaimer: I don't own Trek. I don't make money off these stories.
A/N: This is a sequel to my Story Carnival, with focus on Archer and Sato. Thank you to Aquarius for the beta.
Jonathan Archer watched Hoshi, clad in generic civilian garb, climb onto the transporter pad. She didn't look nervous, although he guessed she probably was. This was no ordinary transport. On the other hand, since they had just attempted the unusual procedure on Trip, T'Pol and himself, in that order, and nothing had happened, Hoshi might assume that nothing was going to happen to her as well.
Archer glanced over at Trip, who now manned the controls. The transporter area was way too crowded. T'Pol, Malcolm, and two security officers all stood on alert. Archer stepped up to the pad.
"Remember," he said, "your job is to get to the engine room, make the adjustments, and hide until we bring you back, which won't be long. No more than four hours."
She nodded. "Don't say anything or do anything that might tip anyone off. Go with the flow," she replied, ticking off more of the instructions that had been drilled into her.
Archer nodded, his heart beating in his chest. This was no ordinary mission. He was sending her to another universe, a dangerous one at that. And she would have to pretend to be a version of herself that Archer knew to be very different from his good-natured communication's officer.
He himself had had some experience with that version of Hoshi; some of which he hadn't felt necessary to share with her. He worried that she might discover the nature of his counterpart's relationship with hers; although since, according to the Tholians, the other version of him wasn't on the Defiant, he wasn't that worried.
The Tholian technology was different from that which Archer and Trip had experienced at the Andorian carnival. They used a modified transporter to swap a person with their counterpart in the other universe, in this case only if that counterpart was on the Defiant. Wherever his counterpart was, Jon was glad he wouldn't be around to bother his universe's Hoshi.
"Ready, Ensign?"
She nodded.
"Good luck," he said.
In an instant Hoshi dematerialized, and then she rematerialized, dressed differently. Her Starfleet uniform had been replaced by an elaborate, formal Japanese kimono style gown. She wore makeup and a formal headdress of some kind.
Despite the clothing, Jon immediately recognized this woman as the Hoshi he'd met in the other universe. Something about the eyes confirmed it.
She looked around, clearly startled, and then she saw Jon. She gasped.
"How did you" her voice trailed off. She appeared simultaneously frightened and angry. She stepped off the transporter pad.
Jon locked eyes with her. "Hoshi, I understand you're confused right now. Allow me to explain. I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the"
She slapped him across the face with a crack. "How did you escape, you bastard? What have you done? Where am I?" she spat, her voice trembling but dripping with venom.
Two of Malcolm's security guards stepped forward, but Jon raised his hand to stop them. The blow had stung, not just his face but his ego. He had assumed that this Sato and his counterpart were close.
Sato glanced over and saw T'Pol. Her eyes widened, and she laughed bitterly. "So you two have teamed up? Hilarious. Which one of you will put a knife in the other's back, you think?" Then, her eyes found Trip. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but she was quiet.
"You're on the USS Enterprise," said Jon firmly, "and this isn't your universe. This is the universe that the Defiant belongs to. A universe with which I think you have a passing familiarity, if you've looked at the Defiant's database."
Jon didn't know for sure if Sato had looked at the database, but he knew the other T'Pol had. It would follow that Sato had.
She looked around. "This is a trick," she said slowly.
T'Pol raised her eyebrow. "I assure you it is not. We are willing to provide you with proof."
She glared at T'Pol, but she said nothing. She turned to Jon. "Why am I here?"
"The Defiant's warp field exists partially in this universe and is tearing a hole in the fabric of our space. We're not interested in getting the Defiant back, just getting her warp drive calibrated so it won't rip a hole in our universe," he explained.
"And you want me to do this?" she asked carefully.
Jon looked over at Trip. If this Sato was willing to do it, then they could bring back their Hoshi sooner rather than later.
Trip stepped forward. "I can give you instructions to give my counterpart. He'll be able to do it, I'm sure."
Sato stepped closer to Trip, looking him up and down curiously. "I guess in this universe you're a little more careful around delta radiation." Jon heard flirtation in her voice.
"I can also give you some safety protocol suggestions for my counterpart," replied Trip smoothly.
She laughed. "Your counterpart disappeared," she replied. "He's somewhere with the Vulcan." She glared at T'Pol, and then she cast a mischievous look at Jon. "The Vulcan was always weirdly attached to Tucker. He helped her out during mating season."
She was trying to embarrass them, but Jon saw Trip and T'Pol glance at one another. Trip had told her that their counterparts were also romantically involved, so this shouldn't have come as too much of a shock.
"The Tholians think the warp drive could rip your space as well," said Jon. "It's in your best interest to help us."
Sato looked at him. "You'll have to prove that." Her eyes locked onto the pips on Jon's shoulders. "Captain."
He looked into her eyes. "You'd let our universe slowly be swallowed up by a fissure in space, if it didn't directly benefit yours?"
She turned away from him. He thought he detected a pang of something in her face. He remembered what it had been like for him when he was in the body of his other self. As different as they were, there were core aspects that they shared. His Hoshi was the type of person who would obsess over the well-being of a slug. This person before him couldn't be that different, could she?
"Why don't we go to my private mess and discuss the situation? You're not a prisoner here, you're a guest. Generally, we're not in the business of transporting people against their will. This is a special situation. We'll return you soon."
She nodded.
"Captain, allow me to send guards with you," said Malcolm. Sato seemed to notice Malcolm for the first time, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She recovered well, but Jon definitely had seen a flash of terror.
"You can post them outside, Lieutenant," said Archer, "but I'll be fine."
Reed looked skeptical. "Yes, sir."
"It's not far," said Archer. "Come with me."
"I know the way," she replied.
Jonathan sighed. He wondered if it would be ethical for him to ask her what his other self's relationship with her had been all about. Maybe she could finally answer some of the questions that had been lingering in his mind since his adventure there.
Meanwhile, Hoshi Sato had materialized in the largest room she'd ever seen on a starship. It was triple the size of Captain Archer's room, and it was decorated in a Japanese/Brazilian motif. It was clearly her counterpart's room, complete with linguistic textbooks and family photos.
She took a few deep breaths. She could find her way to engineering. She had a map after all, but she didn't want to be found out. She thought it might be best to wait for the next shift.
After a few minutes of examining a closet full of sumptuous clothes and the various objects d' art displayed around her cabin, the chime rang.
"Come in," she said.
A steward pushed a cart into the room. "Your afternoon tea, Empress," said the woman as she bowed.
"Thanks," stuttered Hoshi.
"Will there be anything else, your excellency?" The woman was still bowing.
"No, no, I'm fine," replied Hoshi.
The woman still bowed.
"Umm...you can go," said Hoshi.
The woman backed out of the cabin and disappeared into the corridor, the door shutting behind her.
What the hell? thought Hoshi.