The next day went fast. The whole crew was working hard and Commander Scott was both the happiest and the busiest man on board. Doctors McCoy and Phlox were discussing medical issues and handling the occasional plasma burns in between. T'Pol and Spock were calculating the variables who were needed for the trip home and Porthos waggled his tale at every new person he met.
Everything went on as it should until about 2 o'clock, Kirk was just having a discussion with Archer when he was being hailed by his chief engineer. "Scott to Kirk." He looked at Archer and replied. "Kirk here."
"Captain, I think we have a problem, ye should come down to engineerin' and see for yerself."
"On my way, Kirk out." Both captains looked at eachother and went down to main engineering.
"Captain we have a wee bit of a problem sir." Scott said as soon they had arrived.
"What is it Scotty?" Kirk said and the Commander turned and grabbed a schematic padd. "Look sirs." He began. "We are almost don' with the repairs which are progressin' great by the way and we just miss one tiny component which they didn't knew to exist." He showed them the schematic and pointed to a highlighted part.
"You are saying that we're stuck here because this component can't be made and doesn't exist yet?" Kirk tried to simplify it.
"In theory, yes sir. But Mr.. Tucker had an idea." The last part of his comment made them turn to Trip who stood one step further.
"What is it, Trip?" Archer said.
"I thought that maybe the vulcans have it cap'n. They are a bit ahead of us…" Tucker replied. He didn't like to admit that they were behind, but he had to face the truth this time.
"I don't think we can just fly to Vulcan and ask for the component." Kirk said in deep thought.
"I believe I know a way… Archer said and led the way. He was followed by a stunned Kirk and Tucker. Scott stayed behind, he hated to leave engines unmonitored, even if they weren't his own."
--
The doors of the turbolift opened and three men emerged. The vulcans at the science station didn't even looked at the doors and were glued to the monitor. I don't think I can bring him to brake that habit. Kirk thought. Archer walked to the pair. "T'Pol, can you do something for me?" he said. She tore her glare from the screen and looked at the new arrivals. Spock too had stopped his work. "We need to contact Soval, and not through the official channels."
T'Pol looked at him for a second and nodded. The two of them walked into the captain's ready room.
"Who's Soval?" Kirk asked Spock. He liked history, but he didn't knew every vulcan in history.
"In this time, he is the vulcan ambassador to Earth, captain." Spock said.
"He's sort of T'Pol's mentor, a father if ye like." Trip added when he saw Kirk asking himself why Archer couldn't contact the guy himself.
He nodded and turned to Spock. "What have you found so far." He said to pass the time.
--
" Greetings Ambassador." T'Pol said when Soval's face appeared on the screen.
"Indeed." Soval said, he looked very surprised, for a vulcan... "Is there something urgent to discuss?" he added that when he saw Archer standing behind her.
"The captain has an urgent request." She said and stepped away from the console. Archer sat down in her seat. "Mr.. Ambassador, please listen to my story, it may seem strange, but I can assure you that it is the truth."
Soval leaned back in his seat. He felt that this could be a long story.
--
Tucker and Kirk were grateful to Archer when he exited his room. They had been lectured about time travel and all it's boring formula's by Spock who didn't seem to stop.
"He wants to... see you first." Archer said to his counterpart. "He is willing to help us, but isn't sure of your identity. He will arrive in about 2 hours in a freighter." Kirk nodded. It was out of his hands now.
2 hours later a rigelian freighter docked. Archer and T'Pol stood besides the doors to welcome the ambassador. The doors opened and the grey vulcan entered the ship. "Welcome on board, ambassador." The Captain said.
"Thank you, captain." He said and turned. "It is good to see you again, sub-commander."
"I concur, ambassador."
They walked to the conference room, where some of the other Enterprise's officers where. It was an oval table where on one side, Kirk, McCoy, Spock, Chapel and Scott where and the other side was occupied with Tucker and Reed. When Soval entered the room, they all stood up. T'Pol walked to Trip and took the seat next to him. They all sat down and there was an awkward silence when Soval studied each person of Kirk's crew. His eyes rested a bit longer on Spock and seemed to penetrate the table under which they were holding hands.
"Greetings." He said finally to Kirk with a penetrating gaze.
Are vulcans capable of scanning people with their gaze? Kirk thought. "The same to you, sir." He answered while holding his breath. What was this guy thinking of them?
"You claim to be from the future?" He asked.
"We do not claim to, sir, we are." McCoy said. He couldn't let this tension go on. His comment revoked a 'death' glance from Kirk.
"What is your name, sir." Soval asked the doctor. McCoy's bluntness seemed to amuse him.
"I'm dr. Leonard H. McCoy. The ship's physician." He said with proud and straightened his back.
Kirk addressed Soval and introduced his crew. It would be a much faster way.
"Can you prove your claims?" He said to Kirk, ignoring McCoy's remark.
"We can, but we won't." Kirk said. He had thought long of his answer to this question, which was inevitable. "We hope you will help us, and we do everything ourselves to make sure that we will get home. But we won't risk the timeline, whatever the consequences will be." He looked at his staff and received confirmative nods.
"What will you do when I refuse?" Soval asked.
"We will continue to seek new ways to get home and try not to get in the way."
"I see." Soval said and sunk into deep thoughts. "Can I see the schematics for the part you need?" He asked after a while.
Scotty reached into his pocket and passes along the padd.
"I see." Soval said again when he had examined it. He looked at Kirk again and nodded. "I will help you, how soon do you require the device?"
"There was a little cheer and they all thanked the ambassador. He arranged for the part to be transported in secret and it would arrive this evening. All they had to do now was for Trip and Scotty to make everything ready for a quick installation and for Spock to make the final calculations.
--
That evening, Soval entered the mess-hall. It was quite crowded but he did saw a spot next to T'Pol. "Sub-Commander, may I join you?"
T'Pol looked up from her padd. "Of course sir." Soval slid into one of the unoccupied seats and watched T'Pol. "Can I help you, ambassador?"
"You seem to be more at ease. Is there a reason?" He said in vulcan so the other crewmembers couldn't understand.
"Do I have to have a reason?" She counteracted.
"Does it relate to Mr.. Tucker?" He said with a hintfull tone only T'Pol could hear.
"I do not understand what you are implying, ambassador." T'Pol said and focused back on her padd.
"I believe yo do. I saw the connection, you are bonded are you not?" T'Pol turned her head and looked into his staring eyes. This lasted some minutes before any of them spoke again.
"That is non of your concern." She said finally.
"I know it is not, but I would like to know about it. I would be very pleased." Soval counteracted and T'Pol stared back into his eyes. He looked very pleased, for a vulcan.
"I do not understand." She said.
"I believe that you, how do humans say it, fit together. Maybe you should observe Commander Spock and dr. Chapel, while you can."
T'Pol looked at him, stunned as a vulcan can be. They both looked up when someone placed a tray on the table and sat down. "I will leave you two alone." Soval said and walked away.
"What was that all about?" Trip said while he unfolded his napkin.
T'Pol watched him leave. Maybe I should pay more attention to them. She thought.
--