Don't You Tell a Single Soul
by Rob Morris
CHRISTMAS EVE, 2152
Hoshi finished up her story.
"...but then he discovered that the civilization in question had been, by the standards of most worlds, very wicked. The supernova ended their evil, and its light was seen on Earth as the Star Of Bethlehem, while its charged particles caused rains on Kelielan Four that ended decades of drought. In every instance, it served a need."
The only person left was not seen as likely to offer a tale, but T'Pol proved them wrong by rising.
"Mine is merely an urban legend, as it is sometimes called. But those involved have veracity to me, so I will not discount the possibility it is true."
She had their attention, and kept on.
"A Vulcan scout-ship scanned Pre-Contact Earth. They often found nothing of import over this decades-long mission."
2000
"T'Vek, what is that you read?"
"Sotel, I am intrigued by this offering of the Terran author Samuel Clemens. 'The Mysterious Stranger' speaks of an odd being from the future, almost serenely pure and unemotional. It is, however, doubtful Clemens ever encountered such a one on this world. Has the anomaly come up yet?"
Sotel checked scans.
"No. Still, one must be watching at that exact moment, or it will be missed. I have observed the Russians truly pushing the video concept known as television. Yet the only story of note came when the crew of a whaler described what I can only call a warp-nacelled, cloaked stellar-capable ship. It stopped their hunt of the endangered cetaceans, and moved on. I believe it to be unrelated to our anomaly, though."
T'Vek saw the time, and put aside the older tabloid which spoke of a billionaire computer maker being kidnapped by UFO's.
"Sotel-we have contact."
As always, the readings vanished just as quickly.
"And now, T'Vek, we do not. Frustrating. Why does it do that? And within an atmosphere?"
T'Vek pulled out two small plates.
"We require pie."
Sotel nodded.
"Indeed."
2152
Archer shrugged.
"So what did they scan?"
T'Pol waited the barest of moments before answering.
"A small, mega-warp-capable craft within Earth's atmosphere. It was quite literally moving quickly enough to be everywhere on the planet in one instant."
Tucker waved his hands.
"One, it's just impossible to move that fast. Two, it's twice as impossible to do it within a solar system, let alone an atmosphere. Just when was this supposed to have occurred?"
T'Pol gave the answer.
"Once a year, at 12:01 AM, on December 25th, from a theorized polar launch site."
T'Pol left the room. As eyes widened and jaws dropped, Reed asked his Captain's opinion.
"Did she get us, sir?"
Archer smiled.
"I don't view it as being gotten, Malcolm. I view it as the hope that on some night, Ambassador Soval just might be visited by three ghosts."