—Chapter 4—
The next morning Trip woke to find Jon and Travis eating breakfast, while T'Pol was fiddling industriously with something behind the bar.
"So what's up?" said Trip, looking round. "Where's Hoshi? Where's Malcolm?"
"They left at dawn for a whale watching tour," said the captain. "Supposedly Krios Prime's green whales make our blue whales look like guppies."
"Sounds fun," said Trip, speaking to Archer, though his eyes were drawn to the approaching Vulcan.
"Commander," said T'Pol, handing the man a cup of that same Klingon coffee he'd enjoyed the night before.
"Thanks T'Pol," said Trip, then looked at captain Archer. "So what are we doing today?"
"Travis and I, are taking a shuttle flight to the northern ice cap. The First Monarch set it up. We're diving to some of the sunken cities of ancient Krios Prime. They were located on the equator until twenty thousand years ago, when a pole shift altered the axis of the planet and buried the cities under water," said Archer. "T'Pol was supposed to join us, but our fine SubCommander is wimping out on us."
"I am not wimping out on you, Captain," said T'Pol. "I am a creature of a desert planet, and the thought of submerging myself beneath hundreds of feet of water quite logically terrifies me."
Trip laughed, and said, "For once, the SubCommander's words are completely logical."
"For once?" said T'Pol, brow raised, then reached out to take back the cup of coffee she'd handed Trip.
"Sorry, sorry," said Trip, avoiding T'Pol's grasp until she ceased her attempts to steal back his cup. "So what do you want to do today, T'Pol?"
T'Pol frowned, but Archer answered Trip's question.
"Since she's skipping the diving trip, the First Monarch requested that T'Pol speak to her ministers of her experiences with Humans and StarFleet. Krios Prime is considering opening an embassy on Earth."
"That sounds boring," said Trip. "Well, maybe I'll come with you and Travis."
"I'm afraid not," said Archer, with a wicked smile. "The First Monarch means to have you for lunch, apparently."
"Don't say it like that, Captain," said Trip with a smile. "You words frighten me."
Just then, a steward came to inform Archer and Travis that their shuttle had landed, and the two left in a hurry, chattering excitedly. Trip sipped his coffee and looked at T'Pol, for the Vulcan was watching him silently, through her bangs..
"Something on your mind, T'Pol?"
"The First Monarch set something up for everyone but you, Commander Tucker," said T'Pol, and although there was nothing concrete in her behavior, she seemed resentful.
"I'm sure you have a point, T'Pol," said Trip.
"She wants to mate with you, Commander Tucker!"
"She's the First Monarch of Krios Prime, T'Pol. She has an image to maintain now," said Trip, privately admitting to himself that T'Pol's words could well be correct. "So I doubt it."
"I do not," said T'Pol. "A First Monarch's personal life is considered above reproach. She can and will do as she desires, at no risk to her image, especially something as understandable as mating with the man who saved her life."
There was that hint of resentment in the T'Pol's tone once again, but Trip dismissed it. He was fool enough to admit to himself that he was strongly drawn to T'Pol, but he'd seen no sign from her that she felt the same. Hell, she'd just denied it the very night before!
"Well, what's the difference? I'm plain unlucky in love," said Trip with a heartfelt sigh that would have brought tears to the eyes of the hardest Klingon warrior, then looked at T'Pol with a rueful grin. "Even when I dare dream of love, I get shot down, because I'm dumb enough to fixate my desires on... on the unattainable."
Before T'Pol could reply, a steward entered the room once again, and said, "Lady T'Pol, the ministers will be seated in ten minutes. Perhaps you might like to make your way to the briefing room?"
T'Pol gave Commander Tucker one last glance, then indicated that the servant should lead the way.
Trip yawned, laid his coffee down and decided to shower and dress. If he was going to hang around with the First Monarch of an entire planet, he should make himself presentable. He took his time in the shower, luxuriating in the hot water and the strong spray of water from a half dozen separate shower nozzles, as well as the orange scented soap which seemed good enough to eat, and when he emerged from the bathroom he felt like a million bucks. He also felt quite startled, though he hid it well, for as he entered his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his hips, he found the First Monarch sitting on his bed, a million dollar smile on her face.
"Good morning, First Monarch," said Trip.
"Commander Tucker," said Kaitaama, pursing her lips now. "It's so good to see you this morning."
"Is it so good that you couldn't bear to wait a few minutes longer, Kaitaama? I'd like to get dressed."
"Don't be cross with me, Commander Tucker. After all, we're good friends. Special friends, Trip," said Kaitaama, flashing a smile again. "Or did you forget our time together?"
"I could never forget," said Trip, and it was true, for their sexual encounter had been exciting and memorable, and as an unexpected bonus, Kaitaama's oh so entitled royal bitchiness had largely evaporated after their intercourse.
So why the hesitation now? thought Trip.
His subconscious flashed images of almond eyes, raised brow, pointed ears, full breasts, long legs and a great ass. Question asked and answered.
Ok, so T'Pol's the reason why I'm hesitating, but she feels nothing for me, can never feel anything for me. She's a Vulcan, after all. What am I going to do, deny myself what pleasures I find in life, for something that can never be?
"That was before you became the First Monarch, Kaitaama. Would you excuse me for a moment? I'd like to get dressed."
"It's all right, Trip. No need to be shy on my account," said Kaitaama, her eyes, and that smile, daring the man to act.
"Fair enough," said Trip.
Without making a production of it, Trip dropped his towel and slipped into his pants, commando style. He looked Kaitaama directly in the eye the entire time in order to repay the First Monarch's cheek with a bit of discomfort, but other than the fact that Kaitaama colored a delightful shade of pink, the First Monarch did not seem troubled by Trip's boldness.
"Oh, Trip," said Kaitaama, delighted. "I'm so glad you're here."
Trip smiled, slipped on his boots and a shirt, and said, "Good for you. Now, what plans do you have for us?"
"I thought you'd enjoy a visit to the Royal Shipyards, Trip," said Kaitaama. "Our finest ships are constructed there, and our technology is more advanced than yours. You should find this day trip fascinating."
"Oh, you're absolutely right, Kaitaama!," said Trip sincerely, for such outings were an engineer's dream. "It sounds fantastic."
"And afterwards we'll return to the palace for a late lunch," said Kaitaama, "before we make plans for the evening with your crew mates."
"Good. Good," said Trip. "I haven't eaten breakfast so I'll be starving by then."
"I'm certain that I'll have a voracious appetite as well," said Kaitaama with a playful glance, "but not for food."
Hoshi squealed with delight as their boat made a fifth pass around the pod of giant green whales which they'd been following for the past two hours. A large female surfaced close by, her dorsal fin breaching the water, rising, and rising, and still rising, 'till it towered far above the boats, at some forty-eight feet. Hoshi squealed, jumped up and down and pointed out the size of the whale's fin to Malcolm, as if he could possibly miss seeing it. He smiled at that, then laughed and Hoshi threw herself into his arms to hug him, but then of course he had to ruin it by kissing Hoshi deeply. Only Hoshi didn't consider that Malcolm was ruining anything, for she'd been crushing on the man for a while now, and kissed him back eagerly, giant whales all but forgotten for the moment.
Archer pointed out a twelve foot eel to Travis and the Helmsman nodded appreciatively, wide eyed behind his dive mask, then the diving guide's voice came over the earpiece they'd been provided with, the Kriosian's words translated on the fly by the computer chip built into the mask.
"Let's go down into the city now," said the guide, "but remember, my warning. Do not enter any buildings without me. Do not separate from me. If I lose you down here, the First Monarch will have my hide."
"Affirmative," said Archer into his mask, and Travis gave the Kriosian a thumbs up.
T'Pol briefing of Kaitaama's ministers had gone well enough, after which she'd lunched with one of the First Monarch's ministers, TeKerren, though she'd been distracted by wondering what Command… the rest of the crew was doing. The Kriosian minister was both, enchanted with T'Pol, and unfamiliar with Vulcans, because he was trying hard to move their conversation onto a more intimate footing, after having lured T'Pol to lunch under the premise of discussing the possible application of Vulcan technology to solve Kriosian problems.
Had he known Vulcans better he would not have bothered. Due to the possibility, however slim in his case, that a psychic Bond would emerge between lovers, Vulcans simply did not indulge in such things as casual sex. A night of fleeting pleasure was not worth waking up next to a troll the following morning, and realizing that you were bound to that troll for the rest of your life, and so for a Vulcan, engaging in sexual intercourse was equivalent to a Human willing to put his life on the line for another, it was essentially saying, I'm all in with you, for the rest of my life. So, sadly for him, poor TeKerren would not achieve his desires for the Lady T'Pol on this day.