Chapter Three

Gathering

Seamus O'Cathain was feeling very satisfied indeed as he finished entering the results of the last Astrometrics survey into his log. It had been a good two days, and the idea that had been planted the morning he had heard Tia Anlor sing one of the songs of her native world Aura had sprouted and bore good fruit indeed.

He had good resources. He had started with most of the people who had participated in the production of 'Henry V' he had put together over ten months ago, and branched out from there. He had not gotten everyone, but he had a solid corps.

Closing the Astrometrics file at the end of his shift, he opened another on the screen at his station and reviewed his progress so far. Five people had committed to help him, and he was less than halfway through his list of prospects he had worked with, before trying to branch out to the rest of the crew. He decided that when he had seven he would start letting people know about his germinating plans and see what kind of general response he would get.

'Let's see now; I have Sarah O'Donnell with her harp. She has a lovely voice and I think a lot of people will be surprised. Tom Calder wants to do stand-up comedy; I have to listen to him and I hope he's funny. Harry Lewkiewicz actually did a revival of 'Phantom of the Opera' about ten years ago and still has a good voice; he's doing 'Music of the Night'; Gloria Schroeder I can get to team up with Ann Anderson to run lighting control and music; Tia Anlor … she turned me down once, but after I convinced her that people will love her as much on stage as they did in the mess hall… I think something by … oh, it's old, but then again, so's 'Phantom', and Webber's lasted as long as Gilbert & Sullivan…hmmm. Yes, if I'm any judge she'll do this one if I present it to her right.

'Who else can I ask? It needs something lighter, a bit of balance. Maybe a quick medley of pieces. Wait a minute, didn't …' He opened another file, tapping into the detailed records of personnel histories. 'Yes, he did. I thought I remembered reading something about it. Oh, this is going to be good!'

xxx

Jonathan Archer's mind was more on a conversation he had had with Science Officer T'Pol before leaving the Bridge for the evening regarding the prospects of an exploration of a planet, Caldis III, which he had found on the Vulcan star charts than where he was going as he strode down the corridor. On their present course it was about two weeks away, but there was no hurry, and he considered it a good potential source of materials used to make deuterium. However, engaged as his mind was, he stopped in mild surprise at the sight of the young woman approaching from the opposite direction.

Tia Anlor was more than her usual bright, cheerful self; he saw there was actually a small dance in her step. She was completely unaware of him, walking with a smile and an unmistakable sway to her hips as she all but danced down the corridor. She was almost upon him when she stopped, surprised when she saw him, giving him a bright smile. "Wrenaouq Archer! Galyas!"

"Galyas, Miss Anlor." She took his hand in hers and touched his wrist briefly to her lips before releasing it, a gesture he has become quite familiar with. It wasn't a kiss, just a touch, but it had become a familiar greeting. She didn't do it with everyone, but did with those she considered her closer friends. "Well, Miss Anlor, I'd observe you were in a good mood, but for you that would be redundant."

She looked up at him with a curious tilt of her head, but he motioned for her to dismiss it. But as her long golden hair slid aside he noticed a small white object attached to the lobe of her left ear. "What is that?"

"Oh, Ann Anderson it to me this morning loaned." She removed it from her earlobe, handing it to him. It was a piece of white metal barely half an inch wide. "She on it put fifty of the musics from two evenings ago." He brought the small white device to his own ear, and heard Buddy Holly just finishing 'Oh, boy.' He handed it back to the petite girl.

"Nice." She reattached it to her earlobe.

"Lieutenant O'Cathain me asked to in his … show… sing?" She pushed the button beside the turbolift door and it opened obediently, allowing her to step inside. He did not quite know what she meant; was she asking him about the 'show', singing, or asking anything at all, but telling him. As usual, conversations with the sprightly Auran left him feeling vaguely lost.

"What do you think of that?"

She looked up at him and smiled brightly if questioningly. "Oh, boy?"

The door slid closed, leaving him staring at the grey metal.

"Oh, boy."

xx

He was about to take a step when he heard his name called from behind him, and turned to see Seamus O'Cathain approaching. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Captain, I've been giving a lot of thought to this show…"

"Yes, I know. I've heard from several people you've invited to participate. I trust that your Astrometric report on the Dentarious cluster is ready?"

"Logged and available at will, sir."

"Then what can I do for you?"

"I understand that in upstate New York you were in a …"

Archer held up his hand. "That was a long time ago, Lieutenant." He said firmly.

"Yes, sir." Beat. "The reviews for 'Man of LaMancha' were impressive, sir."

Archer gave the smiling man a steely stare. Five seconds, ten, the man just would not wilt. "As I recall, you tried to talk me into playing the French King in 'Henry V', and I was sure I would get out of it when you told me that you were going to recruit T'Pol for Mistress Quickly, an emotional recounting of the death of Falstaff. I told you if you could get her, I would also participate."

"Her performance was also impressive, sir."

"I'm not making any more bets with you, Lieutenant."

"No, sir." Archer tried to keep from frowning at the smiling officer.

"You're going to get me into this somehow, aren't you?"

"I'd say so, sir."

Archer sighed. "All right, Lieutenant, I'll think of something and get back to you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

O'Cathain stepped into the next turbolift, leaving Archer alone, shaking his head. "Oh, boy."

xxx

Tia exited the turbolift and headed down the hall, trying not to give in to moving to the music which only she could hear, but it was hard and she was in just too good a mood. Consequently, she noticed she was attracting more than even the usual attention from the rest of the crew, who she favored with bright smiles and even brighter greetings. She exchanged a few brief pleasantries with Dr. Phlox, the music playing softly in her ear. He reminded her to stop by the Sick Bay before the end of the day for her supplement. Since leaving Aura, she had required, and would continue to require, regular infusions of gold as well as many unique vitamins to balance what she no longer obtained in her regular diet.

In the weeks she had been aboard this; her relation and interaction with the crew; was one of the best things about these new people – the ready acceptance she had found among them. Things here was so vastly unlike Aura, with its atmosphere of fear during the unending occupation by the Silurians; who kept them for the gold in their bodies after having mined their planet to virtual obliteration. Everything that the Silurians considered valuable, even worthless gold; was gone. Gold was so common on her world that it was like Earth's iron, so common it was even in the blood itself, which was what had led to Aura being conquered. She and her friends had taken their opportunity to escape, and though only she had survived, she had done so to find herself among these astounding people.

Everyone who was here was so because they wanted to be. They were heady with the exhilaration of exploring the cosmos, and sometimes she felt they had so much in common despite their differences. She was opening up and expanding her life in a new atmosphere of freedom, and most times it seemed these people were opening up just as much in their grand discoveries of the galaxy. They were the first to make it this far away from their home world, as was she; though the difference was that she was a refugee and they could go home.

Yet, in the past few months, she had to wonder just what that meant. If she could go 'home', just where would it be? Would it be her home on Aura; or would her home be with Shar-les?

Not too soon, she reached his door just as Buddy Holly and his Crickets (what are crickets? She had to look that one up,) were singing the last notes of 'Not Fade Away', so she knocked on his door in the uneven rhythm that formed the backbeat. Usually she rang the chime, but …

The door 'shushed' aside to reveal the slightly surprised Chief Engineer, still in his uniform. "Tia?"

With a bright smile she took his arms to steady herself and came up on her toes to touch her lips to the side of his neck, not a kiss but a prolonged touch nonetheless. He was the only one she greeted in such a way, as was only proper. "Galyas, Shar-les!" She exclaimed, coming down to the deck.

"Come in." She did so with a very definite dance to her step, surprising the man, who did not know she was moving now to 'Ollie Vee'. "Tia, are you o.k.?"

"Daai. Just very happy am I." But then she unclipped the tiny device from her earlobe, turning it off in mid-note.

"I see you've changed your mind about our music." He observed with a smile.

"Changed mind, nyas. When stopped understand trying to, decided liked it I did. Is about it I you want to talk to."

"About talk to what - ?" He stopped sharply, forcing himself to back up, hands pushing away the flub. "What did you want to talk about?" He gave her a mock frown. "You know, Tia, you are a very bad influence."

She giggled. "Is my fault that how to proper sentences form you know not?"

He laughed. "You know, one of these days, you're going to wind up over my knee." Her grin half-faded as she looked at him, perplexed. She tried for several seconds to imagine what he meant, particularly if the artificial gravity field remained on, and finally threw the thought away as one of the million unsolvable things about this new race. From the smile on his face, she knew that he knew she was trying to work it out and he was not about to give her any help at all.

"But you talk to I wanted, agree if you I see to will."

"Yes?"

"Lieutenant O'Cathain me his show in has asked edal, um, 'to be'."

"Yes, I heard. Congratulations."

"Ealyiis. But it do I would if with me you will too."

"You want me to sing or dance?" He asked, astonished.

"Daai!" She exclaimed.

"Tia, have you ever heard me? Believe me, you don't..."

"Heard you I did, when in the end of the films you…" He held up his hands.

"I remember. But Tia, that was to you. And I was just following along. Doing it in public, that's a whole other thing. I'm not ready for that. I'm not going to be ready for that."

"But found this I did!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, pulling a data disk out of the pocket of her dress. "Says to me I everything share would, but alone can I do it not. Qualsia?" She implored. "Please?" She stepped up to him, very very close, her hands pressed to his chest as she looked high up into his eyes. "Please?"

Commander Charles Tucker III stared down into the golden eyes of the girl, and knew with a dread certainty that he had lost.

xxx xxx

The evening had gone well, and even T'Pol was feeling … well, a Vulcan does not indulge in seeking out pleasure but she had to admit she was not displeased with the events of the evening. She was satisfied that …

There was a chime at the door just as she was about to enter the refresher. No matter; she would deal with the unexpected and uninvited late evening visitor.

She pressed the button to open the door. The hard fist slamming into her right eye through the partially open door jerked her head back painfully as she staggered backward into the room, to be stopped by the far bulkhead. Though surprised and hurt, she readied herself for a fight, her own fist targeting his jaw as he approached. Vulcans have three times the physical strength, speed and endurance of humans; and she had no doubt at all about the outcome of this contest.

He ducked under her riposte with surprising speed, and she barely saw the long blade, dripping with red blood as it was, until it was too late and it pierced her stomach, doubling her over with the tremendous force of the blow as it dug its painful way deep into her body.

She could not keep silent, crying out in pain as the thick blade was wrenched out of her with a flow of green blood that mingled with the red already coating the blade. Hurt, T'Pol tried to work quickly, calling on all her defensive skill to overcome this attacker.

She swung at him, but he shifted away and her aim went wild. As she stepped forward into the blow he punched her in her stomach, aiming for the deep and green flowing wound. The impact knocked her back and he came up, punching her face and spinning her around into the wall.

Even as she caught herself on her outstretched hands, she felt a searing pain in her lower back as the long blade sliced in behind her heart, the sharp metal stabbing deep into that rapidly pulsing organ. Though her blood pressure was a Vulcan's normal low, the vital green fluid rushed out as her heart was pierced, and when the blade was twisted sharply it sliced her heart almost completely in half.

Green blood gushed out of her back, and so rapid was the loss of pressure that T'Pol never even felt herself pass out. She slid down the bulkhead along a jade trail and fell to the floor in an ever-widening pool of emerald blood. Her eyes, staring blankly up at the ceiling, were frozen in an expression of astonishment.