THE HUNTER

The Next Day. Sick Bay 0700 Hours.

Trip could hear a voice in his head very clearly and it was not T'Pol. It was hers, it was T'Veirs'. But she was dead, or was she? But who did all the other voices belong to? There seemed to be hundreds, if not thousands. All he knew was the voices caused him pain, lots and lots of pain. The more he heard the more it hurt, the louder they were, the more it hurt. And the clearer they became, the more it hurt. He thought he was going mad. Weren't people who heard voices in their head considered crazy?

"Commander," Phlox called out as he watched his patient toss and turn on the bio bed holding both hands against his head. "Commander Tucker!"

"What!" Trip screamed as he shot up to a sitting position on the bed.

"I gather you are still hearing the voices and they are still causing you pain?"

"Wow doc, I knew you were a rocket scientist," Trip said sarcastically. "A real genius huh! A-a regular Arik Soon!"

"No need for insults Commander," Phlox frowned a bit.

Trip sighed heavily and fell back on the bed. "Sorry doc. I know this isn't your fault."

"And I'm doing all I can."

"I know, I know. I just…just want them to stop," he said shakily. "Want the voices…the voices to go away. Just make 'em go away," Trip mumbled as he curled up onto his side.

"You know that if I could I would do just that Commander," Phlox replied.

"You said it was one Phlox. You said it was one lousy, murderous, evil Vulcan, in my head, but it's not. And I killed her; I killed her! But now she's floatin' around in my head, talkin to me! How? Why? What does she want from me? W-when is she gonna leave me alone!"

"Come now Commander," Phlox replied. "Let's not get too agitated, it'll only make matters worse."

"Agitated! Get agitated!" Trip shot up on the bed again as he shouted. "I'm already agitated!" "I've got a dead person's brain in my head doc," he said as he hit the side of his head with his palm several times. "I'd say that's enough to get anybody pretty damned agitated! And to make it even worse, she apparently brought a bunch of her dead friends with her, cause they're all tryna talk to me all at once!"

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Just shut the hell up, all of you! Get out of my head T'Vier! Haven't you done enough, taken enough from me! What else do you want! My sanity!"

"Commander, please!" Phlox pleaded.

"She's never gonna stop doc! Not even in death, she's never gonna stop until she drives me mad! She won't stop until she makes me crazy! Well it's working, it's working!"

He could see Captain Archer talking to Dr. Phlox. He could feel two sets of hands trying to restrain him belonging to Malcolm Reed and T'Pol. He had no idea when they had entered sick bay nor when he had gotten off the bio bed and started to engage in a struggle with his ship mates.

"Calm down Trip," Archer was trying to say in a soothing tone, "Listen to the doctor."

"Commander please let me give you another sedative," Phlox pleaded.

"Is it gonna make them go way?" Trip asked in a loud voice as he struggled against his colleagues.

"I can't answer that Commander. But it will calm you and perhaps allow you to rest for a while."

"You don't believe me do you? You don't believe they're real do you? Well I'm tellin' you they are! I can hear 'em as plain as day! I can hear her!"

"It doesn't matter what I believe Commander, I just want to help you feel better at this moment. We will continue to try and sort all this out later, hummm."

"What are you tryna do to me!" Trip shouted at T'Pol and Reed still trying to restrain him. "Get your hands off of me!"

"Commander," T'Pol interjected, "we are all here to help you, please let us." With that T'Pol attempted to use the Vulcan nerve pinch on Trip, but surprisingly it did not work.

"Captain, this technique usually works on humans, however, it has proven ineffective on the Commander."

"I said get your hands off me!" Trip then pushed both T'Pol and Malcolm off of him and they went hurdling half-way across the room knocking over a medical tray table and the Captain.

"Bloody hell!" Malcolm said, "I don't remember him ever being that strong!"

"Phlox do something!" Archer said as he picked himself up from the floor.

"Commander Tucker, please won't you let me give you another sedative," Phlox said. "I assure you, you will feel much better."

"But you said you couldn't make the voices go away," Trip wailed as he bent over at the waist, tearing at his hair with both hands. "And all I want is a few moments of peace and quiet! Shhhh. I-I…just want silence," he whispered.

"Okay, okay," Archer whispered back as he approached Trip where he was crouching. He bent down half-way to speak to him. "But look, if you let Phlox give you some medicine, it'll help you get that peace and quiet all the more, I promise."

"He- he doesn't believe the voices are real, so he's probably just been giving me placebos all this time."

"No Trip. The medicine's real I'm telling you. You just probably needed a lot more than he thought. It's just taking Phlox some time to figure out how to help you."

"He won't give me more!"

"Yes he will. I'm here now, and I'm ordering him to give you real medicine and to give you as much as you need to help you feel better. You hear that Phlox, that's an order."

"Of course Captain," Phlox replied as he held his hypo in hand. "Now Commander, if you please, allow Mr. Reed and T'Pol to help you back onto the bed."

Trip hesitated then staggered backward up against the wall. He was tired, so, so tired. At this point he just wanted some relief. He slid to the floor, head in hands. He sat on the floor hard, tears in his eyes. His head hurt, he was nauseated and dizzy and thought he would pass out any minute. But maybe that wouldn't be so bad. All the while, the voices continued yelling, screaming, screeching, talking, crying. Trip finally nodded his approval. The officers hurried to his side, helped him to his feet and quickly assisted him onto the bio bed before he changed his mind or started his paranoid rant and rave again.

With that the doctor injected his patient with the hypo spray. He watched him for several minutes. Phlox frowned curiously. He ran a scanner over Trip again who vehemently objected, then Phlox upped the dose of medicine and injected Trip again considering the state he was in. After a few minutes he finally began to settle down and the pain subsided a bit, but he could still hear the voices. He allowed Archer to sit with him until he drifted off to sleep.

Several Hours Later, Sick Bay.

"Who is he talking to?" Archer asked Phlox, concern on his face.

"I think we both have a pretty good idea as to whom he is more than likely speaking to," Phlox answered.

"How long has he been doing this?"

"A little over an hour now."

"Have you tried to get him to stop?"

"Of course I have, that is why I finally called you," Phlox replied. "At first I was curious to see how long this phenomenon would continue. When it went on and on, I tried to intervene. I thought he was perhaps in some type of sleepwalking state. Then I was concerned that something else was perhaps going on, that the alien life-form had overtaken him."

"And?" Archer interrupted.

"I assure you Captain, this is Commander Tucker."

"Then what the hell is going on?"

At that moment T'Pol and Malcolm entered sick bay. "Captain, you sent for us," Reed said.

"Yes, the doctor wanted us here. There's a new development with Commander Tucker." They watched as Trip continued to have a conversation with himself.

"Captain," T'Pol said. "The Commander is speaking fluent Vulcan. However, I do not recall him ever having studied the language, let alone perfected it."

"What is he saying?" Archer asked. But before she could answer, Trip turned and looked at Captain Archer.

"Capt'n," he said calmly. "I've gotta get down on that planet."

"What?" Archer asked puzzled.

"I need to get down on the planet. I know what I have to do and I know how to do it. I'll need help though," Trip replied.

"Doc, is he coherent?"

Phlox hurriedly ran a scanner over Trip. "This is amazing Captain," he finally said. "He is quite coherent indeed."

"Are you saying he's suddenly all better?" Malcolm asked confused.

"He's more than better," Phlox replied. "I need to get him in the imaging chamber to be sure, but his higher brain function is significantly elevated."

"How is that possible?" T'Pol asked, Phlox knowing that she was asking a lot more than anyone else in the room was aware that she was asking.

"It is the katra. It is controlling his brain function and communicating with him for what purpose, only he can tell."

"Capt'n, like I said, I'm gonna need to get down to the planet. I need Lt. Reed to accompany me," he said looking at Malcolm. "Lieutenant, that work you've been doing recalibrating those phase pistols?"

"Yes?" Malcolm said stepping closer.

"I'm gonna need that data from U'don's ship and more phase weapons. But this time, you need to work your magic on a much larger scale as well."

"How much larger?" Reed asked.

"I need you to help me build a bomb large enough to blow up a small planet."

"What!" Archer replied. "Trip what the hell is going on? For the last 24 hours you've been acting like you were having a mental breakdown or something. You came in here hearing voices in your head, then you spent an hour talking to yourself, in Vulcan no less!"

"I'm sorry about before Capt'n, and I know how this must look to you, but you gotta trust me," Trip said. "I know what I'm doing." Trip then jumped off the bio-bed. "We don't have a lot of time. In addition to Lt. Reed, I'm gonna need at least four-five MACOs. Then Capt'n, I'm gonna need you and T'Pol to get everyone else as far away from the planet as possible. Cause I'm gonna take the Nephiteri and blow that sucker up."

"You're gonna what!" Archer shouted.

"You heard me. I need to blow that planet up!"

"This sounds extremely dangerous and completely illogical!" T'Pol blurted out.

"It is dangerous," Trip replied facing her. "I know that, but it's probably the most logical thing I've ever done in my life."

"Capt'n," he said facing Archer, "I don't intend for anyone else to risk their lives. I just need an away team to help me get the ship and the weapon ready. Then I want the rest of the away team transported back to Enterprise. I'll pilot the ship into the planet atmosphere, get as close as possible and I'll be detonating the weapon, alone."

"You'll be detonating the weapon!" Archer replied. "Trip, you want me to send you on a suicide mission and I don't even know why you're doing it!"

Trip looked at all of his ship mates. He looked very serious and very troubled. He put both hands on his hips and looked down before speaking. He blew out a long sigh.

"Listen all of you. Down on that planet, there are 5,691 inimicus," he said. "It's their lair. All those voices I was hearing earlier, belonged to them. That's why T'Vier is in my head, she told me what was happening, helped me isolate the voices, block them out so I could just hear her.

Remember what U'don told us, that the inimicus have been trying for centuries to figure out how to reproduce. Well, they've found a way. That's what T'Vier's been trying to tell me, that's why we're here. In addition to the adults there's over 24,000 eggs and hatchlings down there. They've spawned a race of those things," Trip said, everyone captivated by his tale.

"But they're not interested in living down there on that planet in peace and harmony as a new species of sentient beings," he continued. "They have one purpose, evil. All they want is to seek out other life forms and to transform them into beings like themselves; to wreak havoc on the mind, body and spirit of others, to kill and destroy. You saw what they did to our crewmates, to the people we picked up on that planet, what they did to me. They want to create their own version of hell in the universe. They have to be stopped and T'Vier has shown me how to kill 'em."

"Trip, that's an incredible story."

"It's not a story Captain. It's real, it's no fairy tale."

"I wasn't suggesting anything of the kind. I knew when we came out here that we may be encountering another inimical, perhaps several more. I know Phlox says you're carrying the katra of a dead Vulcan, and I also know you've been through a hell of a lot over the last few months Commander. You've been under a tremendous strain, and I probably should have followed my first instinct and never even brought you out here in the first place."

"You think I've gone crazy Capt'n?"

"I didn't say that. I just said you've been under a lot of strain, but judging from your behavior earlier today, I'd say it wouldn't hurt for you to take some time off, to get some rest."

"Capt'n, I'd love to do nothing more than take a long vacation on the tropical planet of my choice, but unfortunately, I can't. You said before we came out here that you were afraid that there was another inimical out here somewhere huntin' for me. Well sir, you were right, there is. It's their leader, the one U'don told us about, Apollyon."

"You mean you lied to me so I would bring you out here!"

"I didn't lie to you Capt'n, I just didn't know at the time. But he's here, and he's comin' for me because I killed his most powerful creation. And he will always be comin' for me, from now on, no matter where I go. But Cap't," Trip said moving closer with a very determined look on his face. "I'd just as soon face him right here and right now."

Everyone was silent for a moment, stunned at what Trip had revealed to them. No one really knew how to respond. Archer finally spoke up.

"If what you say is true Commander, we need to contact Starfleet. We need to make them aware of what's out here. We need backup."

"Do what you gotta Capt'n. Go ahead and contact Starfleet if that's what you gotta do. But we can't sit around here waiting for back up. Don't you see Capt'n, as long as I'm on this ship, as long as I'm anywhere around, no one is safe. The only reason those things haven't come up here and killed everybody or taken us is because they're weak from havin' all those eggs and cause they're tryin' to protect that nest! But he is comin' Capt'n, it's just a matter of time!"

"Trip, I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself!"

"Capt'n we can go around and around about this, we can waste time arguing about this. But in the end, we both know what's gotta be done, the only thing that can be done."

There was a few more moments of dead silence as everyone looked around at one another, at the floor, at Trip. Perhaps they should ask some more questions, require more proof. After all, he had been out of his head just a few minutes ago, acting schizophrenic, hearing voices in his head. And now here he is asking them to help him kill an entire species, to let him sacrifice himself to a demon.

But then they had seen the bodies of the crewmembers of the Nephiteri and the Berringer and the crewmembers who lay in sickbay catatonic, staring into space, drooling and waiting to die. They had seen their own crew members' bodies torn to shreds, bones broken and shattered skulls, crushed at the hands of the entity that had attacked their ship. They had seen the blank look on Jamie Madison's face and the cold stare in Ron Ware's eyes indicating that they had no mind left following the brutal assault they had suffered. They remembered Trip.

"Trip," Archer finally said. "You know I trust you, and I want to believe you. I know what you've been through, and I know how this thing has affected you. I've seen what these things are capable of, and no one wants to see them stopped more than I do. But I need more proof. Before I put this entire crew and others in anymore danger, before I risk losing this ship, before I let you sacrifice yourself…"

"Captain Archer," someone spoke up from a behind a curtained-off bio bed. It was one of the crew members of the Berringer that had been recovering in sick bay. "I am so sorry I for eavesdropping," this individual said. "But couldn't help to overhear. I am JaRu. I am Officer First and One, of the Berringer. I was injured in the crash."

"You should not be out of bed young man," Phlox said. "Your injuries are extensive."

"It is alright doctor," JaRu replied. "I have words of extreme importance, and directly related to the matter that you are currently discussing. Captain, if I may?"

Archer looked around as if frustrated. "Go ahead," he finally said.

"Myself and the crew of our ship witnessed the horrific attacks of the creatures called the inimicals. The ones called hunters tried to intervene on our behalf. They expected to find two, perhaps three of the creatures' nests on the planet below, not the entire population. Their technology was not sophisticated enough to pick up the signatures of so many. When they realized that they had stumbled upon the lair of the beasts, it was too late. We were attacked by several that were weakened, not able to take and transform, but still able to kill."

"It was U'don that sent out the distress signals to your ship. He said you would bring another like he and his crew, another hunter. That he would understand, that he would know what to do. Look… at the logs from our s-ship, you w-will find what…I am saying…is …true." The young man then collapsed to the floor. Phlox and one of his medics hurried over to attend him.

There were several moments of silence. Reed cleared his throat and finally stepped forward. "Captain, with your permission, I'd like to get my team started on those weapons," he finally said.

"Permission granted," Archer replied. "I want every one of your security team members and every MACO armed with one of those high frequency recalibrated phase pistols." Malcolm nodded and hurried off.

"T'Pol, assemble a team. Begin to organize the crew of the Berringer and the Nephriteri," Archer ordered. "Get everyone prepared to move out within the next 24 hours. Doctor, prepare sick bay so we can move their wounded over here. You all have your orders. Dismissed." Everyone then exited sick bay, but T'Pol lingered.

"Doctor," she began when everyone had gone. "Why can I not feel him? Why do I know what she is telling him?"

"Apparently T'Pol, T'Vier was an extremely powerful telepath in life, and an even more powerful telepath in her existence as an inimical. It seems she does not wish you to share in this experience so she is blocking you."

"Do you think that our bond will remain intact if Commander Tucker survives this mission?"

"I have no way of knowing that," Phlox replied. "Right now, I see no evidence of it. Her katra has completely taken over those areas of his brain that were previously occupied by your Vulcan brain patterns."

"I see," she quietly replied.

"Perhaps it's for the best," Phlox tried to reassure her.

"Perhaps," she whispered. But inside she felt a dull ache of emptiness and loss.

"And T'Pol, do not be surprised to find out that T'Vier's existence as an otherworldly creature, is doing other things to him as well." She nodded then turned and exited sick bay.

She found Trip in the armory with Lt. Reed and approached him. "May I speak with you Commander?" she asked. Trip looked at Malcolm.

"Can you give us a minute Lieutenant?"

"Certainly," the Brit replied, and stepped away to the far side of the room.

"Why are you doing this?" T'Pol asked.

"Weren't you listening up there?" Trip replied. "You know I don't have a choice."

"You are not planning on coming back," she said with almost a quiver in her voice.

Trip stopped working for a few moments and faced her fully. "Look T'Pol, if there was any other way…I don't want to do this, I have to do this, and I think you know that."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"The hell you are!"

"You cannot stop me."

"Wanna bet!" Trip said, staring her down. T'Pol's shoulders drooped slightly, a sign of defeat. Right now Trip possessed a Vulcan's telepathy, control and other abilities, and as he had demonstrated earlier he either possessed their physical strength, or as Phlox said, some effect of T'Vier's otherworldly existence. She quickly left the room.

That Night.

T'Pol depressed the chime to Trip's door and entered the room. He was surprised to see her.

"I thought you were still mad at me," he said.

"I am not pleased with your decisions of late. However, they have not been illogical and my objections have been purely self-serving, so I wanted to apologize."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I do not wish…" she began, closing her eyes. "I don't want to lose you Trip…I –I..." but before she could finish her sentence, he kissed her, and she melted in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said when they came up for air. "I don't want to leave you, and if there is any way that I can come back, you know I will."

"Why must things be so…so complicated with us?"

"Well, nobody ever promised us a rose garden," Trip drawled.

"A rose garden? What does a rose…"

"Never mind, just kiddin."

"Trip, this is serious," she said pushing away from him. "I never meant for us to become bonded, I never meant for us to become…intimate, but we did. I had no idea that such emotions could be stirred in me, by a … a human no less. But it has occurred and now…" T'Pol tried to continue. She tried to tell him the truth about their bond, that if he died, that she could die. But she was confused because she could no longer sense their bond. He on the other hand, could sense her and feel her very strongly.

"What is it?" he asked alarmed. "What's the matter T'Pol, you're shaking."

"I am distressed because you are placing yourself in peril."

"We've already been over that, I don't have a choice. There's something else. There's something you're not tellin' me, isn't there?"

"Trip, I don't want to fight with you," T'Pol said. "Especially not now. Not when this could very well be the last… the last night we ever spend together." He could see the pain in her eyes and suddenly she looked very small and as if she would shatter at any moment. He relaxed and moved close to her. He reached for her and gathered her in his arms again. He held her closely for a few minutes and they did not speak, he just held her close and she let him. He kissed the top of her head several times.

"I don't want to die," he said "and like I said if there is any way, any way at all that I can come back to you, you know I will. But, you know I can't stand by and let those things get off that planet, don't you?"

"I know," she replied. "I just wish I could help you. I would gladly die beside you."

"I don't want you to die. I want you to live, finish our mission, to go back home, find a nice fella, get married and have lots of kids." T'Pol pulled back from him and glared at the man holding her in his arms.

"That's right," he said. "Just promise me one thing," he continued.

"And what is that Kidiwa?" she asked warily.

"That you name one of them after me," he said attempting to lighten the mood. But, she only stared back into his eyes, not speaking. He could sense her distress so strongly that he once again pulled her to him and held her closely. She struggled not to lose her control and allow the tears to flow.

"Make love to me," she finally said. He smiled at her using the phrase he preferred rather than referring to sex as mating. So, he did.

Trip grasped the back of her head her head, bending her mouth to his. He kissed her deeply, drinking in the taste of her, as she countered his every move.

Her body trembled again. But this time it wasn't out of distress or her unspoken inner fear of losing him, it was from her need for him causing her body to shake with anticipation. Gently he drew back, and gently wiped her cheek with his thumb.

He struggled for words in his haze. "Don't speak," she whispered. He felt her heart hammering against him as she pulled down the zipper of his uniform. She then took her hand and slid it under his clothes to the center of his chest where his own heart pounded madly.

She laid her hand against his chest stroked his skin gently, then with more boldness as she sought out his mouth, returning his kiss as her desire overtook her. Trip tugged the zipper down to his navel, shrugging his arms out of his flight suit as they kissed, her tongue exploring his mouth with growing boldness. With his arms freed, he broke the kiss, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside. It took only a few moments for the rest of their garments to find their way onto the floor piece by piece between kisses and gentle touches. Then forcefully, he picked her up and moved her over to his bunk, laying her down beneath him, flesh touching flesh.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she moved under his hands, her body instinctively seeking his. They were both helpless in an endless void of pleasure, thought and sensation growing ever more distant as the warm waves of bliss surrounded them, bringing peace and sweet relief to both their bodies and mind.

Later, he lay in the darkness cradling her small frame, listening to her breathe as she slept. The voice in his head remained silent. He dared her to speak too, to say one single, solitary word. She had been gracious enough to allow him some privacy earlier so that he could forget she was there for a little while and not feel as though they were being watched. Her silence and stillness had let him pretend for a while that she wasn't ever present with him, sharing thoughts, feelings and emotions so he could spend what was more than likely, the last night of his life with the woman he loved.

He softly kissed the top of her head as his eyes filled with tears when he thought about what he was giving up, what he was leaving behind, when he thought about the life he would never have with her. But, at least he had this night, at least he had this moment. Because tomorrow would bring him closer to a destiny that he never would have imagined, asked for nor wanted. But for whatever reason he had been chosen and he would not, could not fail. He would face the demon, he would kill the monsters, and he would die with them. Only then would he be free of the one that had taken up residence in his head. He would do what had to be done. So...let the hunt begin.