Author's Notes: Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! As you read through this latest chapter, it will become immediately obvious that not all is right. We already knew that based upon the future shown to T'Pol by Data during their mind meld. For the record, I would like to point out that - to my knowledge - there is NO violation of canon. Hopefully, as Agatha Christie's character Hercule Perot liked to point out, before this story concludes... ALL will be revealed!
Star Trek Enterprise: Infinite Diversity
By Inferno's Light
Enterprise NX-01, Inside Tholian Space, July 28, 2268
Captain's Personal Log, July 28, 2268: As Captain of the first NX-Class starship, I have decided to record this temporary record of recent activities in case something goes wrong during our visit to the Tholian home world. A full mission briefing, along with all sensor telemetry logs and other official computer records, have been and will continue to be routed to the database attached to this recording. Hopefully, I will be able to delete everything upon our successful return to Enterprise. At this point, I don't even know yet which era of Starfleet should be alerted to the presence of this data if the worst should come to pass. Our primary goal, after all, is to straighten out a timeline that is currently on course toward certain disaster… not jumble it further.
Unfortunately, Enterprise has moved as close to our destination as is realistically possible. Currently the ship is concealed behind planet number sixteen, the outermost world in the Tholian star system. It is a cold, lonely world lacking even a trace of an atmosphere. For awhile, we had entertained high hopes of getting closer, but even the civilian merchant lanes have begun to fill up with heavily congested traffic. Moving our starship any farther inside this system would undoubtedly give away our presence here, so my command team is making final preparations to launch our modified shuttle pod. With some additional good luck, the rest of the trip will unfold as successfully as the first stage. After all, the crew and I are explorers and bold adventures are one of the primary reasons we left space dock.
The landing team for our upcoming mission will consist of myself, Commander Charles Tucker the 3rd, Subcommander T'Pol, Ensign Hoshi Sato, Lt. Travis Mayweather, Doctor Phlox, Katherine Janeway and Benjamin Sisko. Additionally, in case we should run into trouble on the surface of the planet, I am also assigning Major Jon Hayes from our MACO team to serve as our bodyguard. He continues to be the very capable commander of the Enterprise marine detail, and has proven to be extremely valuable in a crunch. I really wish we had the opportunity to take the time to more thoroughly explore this strange new world, but the danger to us from its resident enemy is very real. With that in mind, my next decision, that of who to leave behind, has been made rather reluctantly.
Standing in the shuttle bay with the rest of his assembled command crew, Jonathan Archer surveyed the eager faces of the small crowd before stepping forward and laying a gentle hand on the shoulder of his Tactical Officer. "I'm sorry Malcolm," he said with complete and utter sincerity. "I need someone with experience to stay behind and take care of Enterprise. We don't know what to expect once we set down, or even if the Tholians will be able to detect us. If they do, things will get messy pretty fast. If the worst should come to pass, I want someone that I trust running to our rescue."
"Believe me… I fully understand sir," Reed stated in reply. "No one understands the obligations of duty, honor and country more than I do. The rest of us will keep Enterprise safe. And if you do end up needing help – well, just shout for help as loudly as you can on subspace."
Archer smiled gratefully. "Good man." He slapped Reed's shoulder confidently before turning to the MACO standing next to the Lieutenant. "Are you ready Major Hayes?" he asked curiously.
The handsome, well-built marine nodded firmly. "I am." He glanced briefly inside the shuttle pod's open hatch – the exterior of which was now fully painted dark black. "You have ten EVA suits… it would sure make me feel better if I could bring along Romero or Chang. My boys and girls have been getting pretty restless ever since we had to postpone rousting pirates."
"Not this time," Archer responded. "If something goes wrong, we may need that extra suit for spare parts. On this planet and in this system, I want to be ready for anything." He chuckled lightly. "Besides, between our equipment and an additional two passengers over maximum, I'm already in violation of Starfleet protocol."
"Understood," stated Hayes with his usual crisp professionalism. "If you'll excuse me then, I'll assist Commander Tucker with the remaining cargo."
"Most of it is oxygen," pointed out Archer. He shifted his gaze first to Reed and then over to Sisko. "What about our special package? Is that situation under control?"
Malcolm smiled thinly, displaying emotional control that was a trademark of his. Rarely did the Lieutenant open himself up to strong emotions, positive or negative. "Aye, sir. We've readied one of our photonic warheads and modified it according to the specifications provided by Captain Sisko. It's been encased in a standard, metallic shell casing coated with Captain Janeway's TWS4 compound and bolted to the top of the shuttle pod. I installed an internal, portable generator, so the anti-matter is fairly well shielded. As long as your ride doesn't get too bumpy, everything should be okay."
The Captain studied the container affixed to the top of the shuttle. "What happens when we reach our destination?" he asked curiously.
"Just climb up and remove the bolts. Two men in EVA suits will be able to carry it safely from there."
"Thanks Malcolm. You and your people have done a fantastic job on short notice."
Dr. Phlox had been politely listening to the conversation. He sighed heavily upon discovering his suspicions were true – that what he suspected was indeed contained inside the metal-coated package. A healer by nature, the Doctor was more than a little astonished by the audacity of the group's obvious intentions. He cast a wary glance in the direction of Benjamin Sisko and Kathryn Janeway, two people he still considered to be relative strangers. "Do we really need to plant a bomb on that world?" he asked with more than a little skepticism. "Technically, our trespassing alone would constitute an act of war. A bomb will be the only excuse a race like the Tholians would need to initiate one."
"We'll be working in a remote, uninhabited area of the planet," countered Sisko tersely. "Last night, I briefed Captain Archer on everything we plan to do once we reach the surface. What we find there, we destroy once we're finished with it. If the Tholians were ever to discover what lies hidden right under their crystalline noses, they would use such a find for military purposes. Given the uncertainty of this quadrant's future as things currently stand, that is a risk we dare not take."
Pausing briefly to consider Sisko's statement, Archer nodded in full agreement. "Besides…" he added brusquely. "Don't forget Doctor – that other Federation starship is inside Tholian territory because our civilians are already being targeted. So if our objective is indeed to save our future, part of the mission must include sending the Tholians a message that they too can be hit where it hurts." He gestured toward the shuttle's open hatch. "Now, then. If everyone is satisfied that all questions have been answered…"
"I have one additional question." T'Pol emerged from inside the pod and stepped to one side, allowing Reed and Hayes to finish loading the remaining supplies. "In my opinion we have prepared ourselves for everything, with one notable exception."
Briefly Janeway sized the young, attractive Vulcan up. Aside from the short dark hair, T'Pol reminded her of another fiercely confident, youthful scientific expert she was accustomed to working with. The Subcommander was just as capable and experienced as Seven of Nine, and a welcome addition to any away mission. "What's bothering you Subcommander?" she asked with interest.
"The Tholian home world is the first planet in this system, the one nearest its star. Add to that fact the significant quantities of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere, and we will very likely be working in a super-heated environment once we land. I predict that we will find conditions much like those currently found on Venus in the Sol system." She pointed toward the open hatch next to her. "We've known that all along and prepared for almost everything. However, once we land, how do we get out of the shuttle without allowing the planet's heat to destroy the vulnerable electronic systems inside?"
Tucker also walked out of the shuttle, and he folded his arms as doubt clouded his features. "I'd be interested to know the answer to that question too," he piped up. "You did plan for a ride back, right?"
Kathryn Janeway smiled with mild amusement and reached inside the edge of her left sleeve. She removed a carefully hidden, cylindrical device that looked a lot like an oversized, silver writing pen. "This is a portable 29th century tricorder containing an internal, short range site-to-site transporter," she informed them. "It has an internal power supply capable of safely moving up to two hundred people in groups of twenty. Since there are only nine of us participating in this mission, this will provide more than enough assistance to serve our needs."
The Commander's jaw dropped in shock, and he pointed an accusatory finger toward the red-haired Voyager Captain. "You told me that Data didn't want to risk sending future technology back with you," he pointed out. "What else have you lied to us about?"
"Trip." Archer's stern gaze quieted Tucker almost instantly. He knew that his Chief Engineer had a tendency to get emotional at times and normally cut him a reasonable amount of slack. Not so in this case, however. "If a Starfleet Captain chooses to withhold crucial information from you, then she has a perfect right to do so… regardless of which century she comes from."
Janeway remained unperturbed at the unexpected accusation. "Captain Sisko and I traveled back through time. That means you're on a need to know basis, Commander," she stressed crisply. "And even if we were from your century, on missions such as this one there will always be secrets that – for one reason or another – must remain in the Captain's club until the very last minute."
Determined to overrule any remaining doubt, Archer waved toward the shuttle. "Our plan is a good one. Mission team, please board the shuttle and prepare for departure. Everyone else is dismissed."
"I can't believe we're actually doing this," whispered Hoshi while she and Phlox lowered their heads just far enough to duck under the pod's open hatch. They boarded the shuttle together and took up positions at the rear of the main cabin, near a pair of large suitcases covered with the heat protective gel. Next to them sat an extra supply of oxygen tanks and a large synthesizer capable of manufacturing more. "We've even got a bomb up top – one shot from a hand phaser will vaporize us."
"For the record, I can't believe we're doing this either," replied Phlox softly. The two of them assisted each other in putting on the helmets to their EVA suits.
"Do you regret being assigned to participate?" Sato studied his expression carefully.
"Are you kidding?" the Doctor replied with a gleeful chortle. "How many Denobulans will ever have an opportunity to walk on the surface of the Tholian home world? I wouldn't miss this for anything!"
Hoshi opened a container of unused gel and carefully sealed the creases where the Doctor's helmet connected to his suit. Then she handed him the small canister and he returned the favor. Glancing around, they noticed that everyone else assigned to the mission team had already followed them on board the shuttle. Moving as far back as possible, they did their best to make room for the others. It was a crowded central cabin, especially with everyone putting the finishing touches on their EVA suits.
"The sealant should cure before we reach our destination," Archer called out. "If it doesn't, the heat on the surface will no doubt finish the job."
"Just so that heat doesn't finish us," growled Tucker somewhat cynically. He counted heads to insure that everyone who was supposed to be present had in fact boarded the small craft. Then he turned to his left, touching the hatch controls and sealing the shuttle pod. Despite his ongoing doubts, the Commander's demeanor was improving steadily at the prospect of setting foot on yet another unknown alien world. The sights to be seen on this occasion intrigued him unlike any other mission.
Sitting in the cockpit seat, the always cheerful Travis Mayweather accessed the helm and fired up the engines while completing the remaining preparations prior to take-off. As he did so, Archer carefully applied protective gel to the areas where Mayweather's helmet attached to his spacesuit. "Pre-flighting completed sir," the Lieutenant reported with a pleased smile.
Hovering just behind him, the Captain smiled boldly. "Then let's go," he suggested confidently.
Seconds later, the dark silhouette of shuttle pod one dropped out of the Enterprise hangar bay. Its slick black-coated atmospheric wings unfolded, and the small vessel moved swiftly away from both the starship and the massive, crater-covered dead planet lurking behind it. Mayweather set a course directly toward the system's central star, and with very little fanfare the extremely perilous mission began.
It was a historic moment to be sure, regardless of which century the journey took place in.
The first leg of the journey proved to be extremely challenging for Travis Mayweather. Relying solely on sensors to guide the small shuttle, he did his best to pilot the small craft without the use of the normally transparent cockpit window. "I've flown solely on instruments before," he commented somewhat anxiously, glancing back toward Archer. "Admittedly though, most of those trips were in simulators and work pods back in my training days on the Horizon."
Sticking close to Archer and the cockpit, Janeway overheard his comment. "Stay in the lanes dedicated to merchant traffic," she suggested, shifting uncomfortably in the tightly packed quarters. "The shuttle's sensors have been 'dumbed down' and altered to emulate older, less sophisticated Tholian systems. If we should unexpectedly show up on Tholian scanners, we'll appear to be a lonely little shuttle looking for our freighter."
Temporarily activating the lights on his helmet to insure that they still functioned properly, Tucker winked mischievously at Major Hayes. "What if someone notices your tinkering and decides to come looking for us?" His voice crackled with more than a little feedback on the open Comm-frequency, prompting him to immediately reach for the adjustment settings on the front of his suit.
"Against the background of space, our black hull renders us almost completely invisible," stated Janeway reassuringly. "If anyone approaches us, all we have to do is power down and let them pass. Trust me, unless our avionics and sensors remain active, we won't show up on their sensors."
"I'm all for that!" decided Travis firmly, glancing back at all the familiar faces crowded in behind him. "I can't see them, so it's only fair that they can't see us." His gaze returned toward the consoles in front of him, where everything surrounding them was electronically mapped out for him in meticulous detail. "Believe it or not, this is actually getting easier." On the main sensor grid, military ships were displayed in red, civilian vessels in blue, while asteroids and other nearby objects glowed with a dull, forest green. Mayweather was carefully steering toward green contacts, using them for cover, and avoiding red ones.
"All that training is coming back to you now, isn't it?" guessed the Captain.
Travis paused long enough to respond. "My Dad used to tell us that flying is just like riding a bicycle." He laughed with amusement. "He never did tell us what a bicycle was, though."
The Captain nodded with approval. "My Dad taught me never to be afraid of the wind." He smiled at the pleasant memory. "Seriously. From your perspective, I take it that everything is proceeding well?"
"Absolutely," Mayweather replied without hesitation, working steadily to keep the shuttle on course toward their eventual destination. "We're passing the system's star now, moving toward the opposite side of the solar system." He fell silent for a moment as he studied the scrolling sensor data and object maps in front of him. "However, once we hit atmosphere this will turn into a whole new ball game. There's no telling what to expect in terms of temperature, not to mention wind sheer."
"Expect Venus-like conditions." T'Pol was buried somewhere in the center of the shuttle, hidden between several other bodies. Even so, both Archer and Mayweather heard her clearly on the specially encrypted communications link they had created specifically for the mission. It was proven technology guaranteed to function even in the harshest of conditions.
"I just never expected to see so much civilian traffic," the Lieutenant admitted. "Who would have guessed this star system would be filled with this many ships?"
"Tholian merchants rely very heavily on trading with other species in order to support a fragile economy," responded T'Pol informatively. "As you might expect, industrial activity on their world has traditionally proved to be extremely challenging."
"Then why is their military so aggressive?" wondered Travis. "I'm no expert, but it's generally not a good idea to anger potential customers!"
"Perhaps this mission will provide answers to some of those mysteries." Archer cast an amused glance toward the crowded cabin behind him. "How is everything going back there?" he asked curiously.
"Whose idea was it to remove the chairs?" The slightly frustrated voice on the Comm-link was obviously Hoshi's. "These so-called cushions Malcolm gave us to sit on feel like solid concrete, even through an EVA suit."
"Sorry Ensign," Commander Tucker replied with a soft laugh. "There wasn't room for extra people, cargo, and chairs. Something had to go."
"Travis has a chair," she quickly pointed out, refusing – for the moment – to let the subject rest.
Leaning against the starboard hull, Tucker shook his head at her persistence. "The guy in charge of landing us safely while facing adverse conditions gets to keep his seat," the Commander grinned. "That's an order directly from the Captain."
Major Hayes was seated next to the Commander, and he chuckled lightly at the usual, casual banter back and forth. His gaze settled on Benjamin Sisko, who had contentedly seated himself next to Doctor Phlox. Sisko looked totally calm and at ease, waiting patiently while their shuttle slowly crossed the alien star system. "Captain Sisko, you look like someone who has been on dangerous missions like this before," the Major observed. "Usually, only experienced professionals can control their fear and anxiety as easily as you do. I usually do pretty well myself, but even so I am feeling a bit restless."
Sisko's gaze was piercing, even through the transparent faceplate on his helmet. "Where I come from, combat missions occur on a regular basis," he stated factually. "I'm used to setting up camp and waiting for the inevitable… sometimes I wait a long time before anything significant happens."
Hayes chuckled. "So you're telling me that any future isn't perfect, even if we manage to avoid disaster."
"Some of Starfleet's darkest days occur in my era, along with many of our brightest." He stared almost defiantly at Hayes, remembering. "And unfortunately, my son ends up caught in the middle of it."
"You sound like you've been through a lot," Hoshi stated suddenly, growing interested in their conversation. "Where I come from, lots of people have been through really tough times. Every family suffers in wartime. I'm certain that your son will endure… that he will serve Starfleet with honor."
Sisko laughed darkly. "No, you misunderstand Ensign," he continued. "My son chose to be a reporter, and once war breaks out in my time he makes a headstrong decision to remain in enemy territory so that he can more fully cover the daily events. He lives and works among some of the worst people I have ever met, risking everything in pursuit of his journalism." He held up his space-suited arms helplessly. "He always wanted a big news story, and once war broke out he certainly got one."
"Do your enemies know that he is your son?" Sato asked, sucking in her breath. "Wouldn't they take him prisoner and try to use him as a hostage against you?"
"One would certainly think so," Sisko mused. "Unfortunately the enemy that we're fighting has a very nasty cruel streak running through them. I've never seen its like. They've used every dirty trick in the book at one time or another, but for some unknown reason they've left my son alone." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I suppose that they like the idea of my constantly knowing that he's in danger… that they could kill him any time they want to and that I bear the emotional burden every day. Jake was certainly old enough to make his own decisions, but I'd still like to give him one last spanking for doing that to me."
"If you think your family life is complicated, try mine," interjected Phlox. "I have three wives – each with three husbands of their own – resulting in a grand total of 720 relationships, 42 of which offer romantic possibilities. There are 31 children in my extended family, five of which I am proud to say are mine." He held up the fingers on his right hand for emphasis. "Three boys and two girls… along with all the complications and challenges that come with an extended family."
Sisko's expression softened and he took a moment to study the Doctor more closely. "I'm not familiar with your species," he pointed out. "In my century, the Federation is extremely diverse and I serve on a remote space station."
"I'm from a planet called Denobula," Phlox stated with his usual wide smile, "And a proud member of the Interspecies Medical Exchange."
"Aha," replied the Deep Space Nine Captain. "Now that explains an awful lot."
Even though the Comm-link remained open, the conversation died down after awhile. During the prolonged, quieter period, everyone's mood seemed to match Sisko's. The various members of the mission team sat quietly, alone with their thoughts, contemplating the danger and wonders waiting for them. After another half hour, shuttle pod one finally emerged from a space lane dedicated specifically to civilian traffic and approached the innermost planet.
Travis immediately redirected the sensors, focusing them almost entirely on the strange new world rotating below them. "This is interesting," he called out suddenly, watching as one of the screens displayed the planet in greater detail. Even though he was looking at a three-dimensionally generated sensor creation, the world below still boasted more oddities than anything he had previously seen.
Archer stirred instantly, rising from his relaxed position on one of the cushions to stand protectively over the Lieutenant. "What have you got?" he asked curiously.
"We're on final approach," said Mayweather informatively. "So if you guys have a specific destination in mind, now would be the time to tell me. There's a lot to choose from down there."
Kathryn Janeway tapped Archer on the shoulder. "May I?" she asked politely.
"Of course," Archer replied, shifting to one side so that she too could survey Mayweather's telemetry.
"Obviously there are no oceans," pointed out Janeway. "The planet is essentially one big continent with considerable volcanic activity and thousands of various sized fault lines. We're looking for a crescent-shaped line of mountains near the equator – specifically a smaller group of them near the larger range's southern tip." She ignored the atmospheric data scrolling by on the main screen and studied the slowly rotating, three dimensional map of the planet. "The planet boasts dozens of enormous mountain ranges, but there should only be one that curves where it crosses the equator."
"I think I found it," stated Travis excitedly, pointing toward a specific point on the console screen. With the fingers on his left hand he tapped several keys and the site immediately enlarged, providing them with a clearer view of the topography. "It's definitely a mountain range with a crescent curve, and there are several smaller groups along the southern tip." The shuttle unexpectedly heaved turbulently back and forth for several seconds before stabilizing.
"Hey!" Tucker snapped with mild annoyance from behind them. "Quit rocking the boat Travis?"
"It's not me," the Lieutenant insisted with light laughter. "We're entering the atmosphere, and – surprise! There are Venus-like conditions to be found here." He continued analyzing the incoming data. "Gravity is only three-fourths of Earth standard… that will make things easier."
On the computer map, Archer examined the narrowing rows of jagged, pointy peaks with fascination. "Those aren't mountains," he observed casually. "They look like giant, sharpened dragon's teeth."
"Do any of them resemble a hand?" asked Janeway. She too was watching closely while the shuttle pod continued to close in on the target hemisphere. "According to ancient Tholian legend, the site we're looking for is sacred… a very small mountain range that resembles a giant hand. Supposedly it's one of their ancient gods clawing his way out of the ground, turned to stone somewhere along the way."
Once again Travis used the keyboard to enlarge a specific area. Turning to meet Janeway's gaze, he smiled dryly. "That depends… do Tholians have six or seven fingers?"
"That's it," said Janeway emphatically, also noticing the odd arrangement of spiked peaks. "Set us down as close as you can to the southernmost 'finger'." She studied the cockpit controls carefully. "Do you have thermal imaging sensors, Lieutenant?"
"Of course." Mayweather activated a subconsole and briefly showed her how to operate it. "What exactly are we looking for?" he wondered enthusiastically.
"A single cold spot… one small drop surrounded by an ocean of flame," she replied crisply, moving in beside him to more easily access the sensor controls. "I'll explain further once we're safely down on the planet's surface."
The surrounding hull began vibrating intermittently as Travis moved the shuttle gradually lower into the planet's thick atmosphere. "Your protective sealant on the outer hull is working exactly as promised," he commented idly. "Even at this altitude, it's over 425 degrees Celsius out there. However, you should be advised that our internal cabin temperature is 45 degrees and rising quickly."
"The life support units in our EVA suits will compensate for that," Archer reassured him.
The sensor console in front of Janeway beeped loudly for attention. "Believe it or not, I've found our target," the Voyager Captain noted with a pleased smile. "Please set us down near this position."
Mayweather studied the coordinates carefully. "Aye sir," he nodded confidently. "I hope you have that tricorder of yours ready, because this isn't going to take long."
"Relax Lieutenant. It's sealed inside the index finger of my left glove," Janeway replied, holding up her forearm for emphasis.
Shuttle Pod One, Surface of the Tholian Home World, July 28, 2268
Once they were safely on the surface, it took only minutes to clear cushions and other non-essential items away from the shuttle's main cabin area. Commander Tucker and Major Hayes stacked them neatly in rows of three along the back wall while Mayweather cautiously powered down all of the shuttle's primary systems. Tucker slid a pair of gel-coated suitcases along the floor, moving them into the midst of the passengers. "Everyone be certain to refill your oxygen before departure," he cautioned everyone. "We can't take the synthesizer with us, only spare tanks."
"We're all going to have to lean in fairly close together," Janeway cautioned them. "My site-to-site transporter will beam everything within its range outside, directly to the destination coordinates that I've chosen. I've got my index finger on two buttons. The top one transports us outside, and the other one activates a jamming field that will shield our life signs from Tholian sensors."
"How do we get back aboard?" wondered Hayes curiously, "Unless, of course, you can find a way to reprogram your device while it's inside your glove."
"The transporter subroutine has a 'toggle' feature," she responded. "Once we get back, all I have to do is press the same button and the device will reverse the first transport. That's why it will be even more important to form as tight a group as possible on the return trip. We all have to fit inside this cramped, enclosed space upon materialization. Otherwise the program's safety feature will prevent it from activating until we reassemble properly."
Archer picked up one of the large, gel-covered suitcases. "Let's get on with this," he decided sternly. "There's no telling whether or not we were scanned on the way down."
Everyone moved together, huddling into a tight group as Janeway proceeded to activate her tricorder. The nine visitors slowly vanished in a whirling haze of azure transporter energy…
…only to reappear seconds later, seemingly in the center of hell itself.
The wind pressed against them in sudden gusts that made it extremely difficult to stand comfortably. A soft, bluish-tinged hazy fog surrounded them – a tremendous heat so intense that there were only occasional reds or oranges to be seen. On the horizon before them and stretching as far as the eye could see, hundreds of jagged, pointy mountains groped sky high in a gently curving line. The surrounding atmosphere was so dense and concentrated that only the lower half of the mountains remained visible. Above a few thousand meters they gradually faded away, vanishing in the pervasive, glowing blue mist that hung around them. Mayweather knew full well from the shuttle's earlier sensor scans that virtually all of them eventually ended in a sharp peak.
A growing orange glow caught Tucker's attention and he glanced down at his boots just in time to see one of the shuttle's cushions disintegrate. The intense heat consumed it almost instantly, before the insistent wind could carry it away. "I thought we had all of those stacked. Who left their cushion inside the transport circle?" he asked with annoyance.
"I did," Ensign Sato responded almost instantly. "I'd rather sit on the floor all the way back than ride on that thing. Good riddance."
"Hoshi!" Tucker protested, turning his helmet toward her with obvious frustration.
She shrugged her shoulders in response, outright daring him to rebuke her further. "It was my cushion," she boldly pointed out to him. "And I wanted to watch it burn on this blasted planet."
Not so surprisingly, their voices seemed very distant in Archer's mind. Fascinated by his unprecedented vantage point and a chance to observe the alien scenery, he glanced carefully first one way and then the other. The hot bluish mist was obviously a direct result of the super-heated, elementary particles in the surrounding atmosphere, and its foggy nature continually shifted and intensified with the strong gusts of wind. Sometimes the Captain had to tighten his knees simply to hold his position, but then the currents of air would die down to a gentle breeze for a few seconds, allowing him to stand relatively normally.
High and to the left of the seemingly endless mountain range, a large, basketball-sized red orb hung in the sky… the sun that consistently maintained the hemisphere-wide firestorm. "I wonder what it's like on the night side," he wondered softly in a subdued tone of voice.
Still curious, the Captain turned around and surveyed the area behind the shuttle. He came to an abrupt stop, completely astonished, and put a gloved hand on Tucker's shoulder. "I don't want to hear any complaints on the way back," the Commander told Sato, using his best lecture tone. "If your delicate bottom gets sore, then you'll just have to stand up and stretch for awhile."
"Trip," the Captain said softly, even though the argument continued. "Trip!" he called out again, much louder this time. He finally caught their attention and, one by one, the other members of the mission team turned their attention toward the opposite horizon.
"Now isn't that something to write home about," Tucker decided, staring in wonder.
The blistering mist thickened and thinned in places, completely obscuring sights both far and near. Even fellow members of the away team had difficulty spotting each other at times, despite the fact that they had not spread out far and were all standing within five or six meters of each other. But during the short periods when the skyline cleared briefly, they could see the tall spires of a magnificent crystalline city on the distant, southern horizon. Without the shuttle's sensors or even hand-held scanners, there was no way to tell what the city was constructed from or any way to determine just how it had been manufactured. All they could see was a breathtaking, alien metropolis that was easily dozens of kilometers in length. There were no sharp angles, only a twisting, curving architecture comprised of orange and reddish crystal that was completely unlike anything they had ever seen.
"No one said stated that we were going to land near a major city," pointed out Major Hayes with obvious concern, watching dark metal pods and shuttles land and depart. "With respect, Captain, we should have taken more precautions."
"Relax Major," replied Sisko firmly. "This place is sacred to the Tholians – none of them would dare to approach it. Their concerns are all based on a legend that is centuries old. That is what has kept them from discovering this place… from finding what is hidden here on their own world."
"What about the warhead?" asked Archer with concern. "Are we too close?"
Sisko shook his head. "I measured the anti-matter myself. We pose no danger to living beings, but the blast will scare the whiskers off of them and reveal their vulnerability to a counter-attack."
Tucker too was captivated by the spiraling arcs comprising the alien architecture, but he also took note of the ships constantly rising and descending from orbit. "They can build entire cities out of heat resistant crystal, just like their bodies," he noted curiously. "But they still need metal alloys to contain this type of atmosphere in their space craft. I would love a chance to study that place… and their ships."
"Not possible," insisted Sisko. "It would be better if we focused on our immediate priorities."
"I've seen this place before," stated Archer with fascination, as though he didn't hear Sisko. "It was in a vision, during the time we were bringing Enterprise into the future… this is the same city!"
Janeway nodded in agreement, moving to stand beside the Enterprise Captain. "Visions like yours are common while moving through time via a slingshot maneuver," she informed him. "A person's experiences, past and present, tend to overlap. That's one of the reasons why it can be difficult to remain conscious during the trip – the mental processes in a humanoid mind are easily overwhelmed." She paused briefly to let him study the domed buildings and sharply pointed skyscrapers for awhile longer. Then, her infamous pragmatism once again got the better of her. "Captain Sisko is right," she continued after a time. "We had better get moving."
"Agreed." Archer returned his attention to the shuttle. "Let's begin by unhooking our cargo and bringing it down to the surface," he suggested.
"You've got one of the supply cases, sir," responded Hayes with a smile. "Commander Tucker and I can handle that." He glanced toward Tucker and the two of them nodded in unison.
Reaching down, Hayes clasped his hands tightly together and allowed the Commander to place his left boot firmly in the center of his grasp. Then he heaved just hard enough to allow Tucker to catch a curved metal handhold near the edge of the pod's dorsal hull. Bending over slightly, the Major inhaled and stiffened his body while Tucker stepped briefly onto his shoulder in order to get the boost needed to make it the rest of the way. Then he removed a crowbar coated with the protective gel from a hook on his belt and slapped it into the Commander's outstretched, gloved hand.
"This won't take long Captain," the Commander promised, his electronically enhanced voice distorting slightly with a sudden, simultaneous gust of fierce wind. "The bolts are designed to release easily once…" his voice trailed off as he raised the crowbar with a gloved hand. A halo of reddish-orange fire surrounded them, temporarily capturing his gaze in a wondrous rapture. Wherever the mist touched the suit's protective coating, it deflected away slightly cooler.
"Trip!" Archer called, rising to his tiptoes in an attempt to spot the engineer atop the shuttle. "What's wrong? Do you need any help up there?"
The urgency in the Captain's voice tugged Tucker's attention back to reality. "Nothing… nothing is wrong," he decided, trying his best to reassure everyone. "I just didn't expect to see my space suit glowing, that's all. It's a bit unsettling, to say the least."
Working swiftly, he dug the thin edge of the crowbar under the first bolt firmly holding the torpedo casing to the cargo frame. The extra large fastener came loose instantly, disintegrating in the planet's extreme heat. Most of the gel on the crowbar's edge also tore away from the sharp metal it touched, and the Commander barely got the second bolt removed before the fire followed the crowbar's length one third of the way up, melting the metal away completely.
"How is it going up there?" Archer called from below. "Do you need assistance?"
Frustrated, Tucker stared at the other dull end before tossing away the remnants of the now useless tool. He leaned out as far as he dared from the shuttle's upper hull. "I need another tool!" he stated brusquely, talking louder than usual without even realizing it. From his higher position on top of the pod, the fierce wind gusts pounded relentlessly against his helmet with an eerie hiss. His legs were hooked firmly in the metal cargo frame, so he considered himself safe for the moment. "Pass me another crowbar."
Below he saw Hayes – also surrounded in a fiery glow – throw up both hands with frustration. "You took mine!" the Major reminded him. "Don't you have the other one?"
The Commander glanced down toward his own belt and smiled dryly. "Oh yeah. Okay… I do have the other one…" he admitted, nodding with sudden understanding. "I knew that… really I did." Working quickly but safely, he attempted to remove the tool attached to his own belt. These gloves are terrible! he thought to himself with growing frustration. This stupid gel covering them makes it even more difficult… Briefly Tucker's thoughts returned to the first tool, and how easily it had become severely damaged once the protective coating was gone. Mentally pushing his anger aside he tried again, this time successfully unhooking the crowbar from his belt despite the awkwardness of the gloves.
Using the benefit of experience, he managed to get three of the four remaining bolts detached before the leading edge of the second tool disintegrated. "Does anybody have another crowbar?" he asked tentatively, holding the glowing remains of the second in his right hand.
"No!" Archer responded, mild concern beginning to crawl across his expression. "We only brought TWO. Trip, do you want some help?" he repeated, more insistently this time. The rest of them were forced to stand by helplessly while Tucker continued to work on top of the shuttle. "Major, check if he needs assistance." Putting down the suitcase he was holding, Archer interlocked his gloves together as Hayes had done and boosted the Major up toward the shuttle's roof.
Tucker noticed the Major's head appear suddenly out of the fiery mist and casually waved him off. "Hang on for a moment," he commented with renewed confidence. "I think I'm beginning to understand how things work on this planet." Turning the remnants of the crowbar around, he gripped it just slightly above the damaged end – the tip of which was still glowing bright orange from the surrounding heat. Then he hammered relentlessly away at the metal frame surrounding the final bolt, making certain that he damaged the crowbar and not his gloves or space suit. It only took about half a dozen impacts before the frame surrounding the bolt melted instantly away, fully releasing the dark black casing that safely housed the photonic warhead. "Here it comes!" grinned Tucker triumphantly.
With great care, Hayes climbed up to join him and together they slowly began lowering the casing down toward the surface below. "Tell us when to stop lowering," the Major requested, straining as he held one end of the torpedo casing tightly in his gloved hands.
"We've got it!" Archer called to them, allowing the two men on top of the shuttle to finally let go.
It only took seconds for Hayes and Tucker to drop back to the surface and rejoin the other members of their team. "I hope we don't need tools to get where we're going," the Commander commented sourly, "Because we no longer have any."
Smiling reassuringly, Janeway patted him gently on the shoulder. "What we're looking for is basically a holographic force field protecting a hidden passageway. It leads inside the base of one of the nearby mountains," she told him. "The entrance has been there for centuries, and is intricately camouflaged – specifically designed to mimic the surrounding terrain. Lt. Mayweather and I pinpointed its location using shuttle sensors while we were still in flight, since there is a standard, oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere behind it. In other words, it's the only cold spot to be found in all of this heat."
"We pinpointed its approximate location," emphasized Mayweather, glancing back and forth at the persistent, ferocious azure mist. "It's a lot harder to see where we're going than I thought it would be."
"How are we supposed to find it a camouflaged force field in the midst of all this?" wondered T'Pol. "If the entrance you speak of is truly well hidden, a deliberate search without even handheld scanners could take a considerable amount of time."
Mayweather walked toward the front of the shuttle pod, curiously studying the nearest cluster of six mountains. Their close proximity made them appear truly gargantuan, even though only the lower portion of them was easily discernible though the fiery atmosphere. They were silhouetted in front of the setting evening sun, which continued to sink even lower on the horizon. "I pointed the shuttle pod directly at the target coordinates when we landed," he informed everyone cheerfully. "Walking straight ahead should put us very close, but it's going to be very easy to get lost in all this mist."
"Let's tie each other together," Archer suggested, unhooking a length of coiled rope from the belt at his waist. "The last thing I want to do is come all this way and then lose someone along the way!" He quickly encircled his waist with the line and tied it off before handing the remainder to Major Hayes. "Travis and I will take the supply cases… Trip and the Major can carry the torpedo casing."
"Aye sir," nodded Tucker enthusiastically. He looked quizzically in Janeway's direction. "What about the bottom of our boots? The protective casing on those crowbars came off pretty easily, and they disintegrated as soon as it was gone."
The red-haired Captain chuckled in response. "Most of the surface soil is soft dirt," she pointed out. "Once we get to the rockier territory, I strongly encourage you not to kick anything. There's more of the gel in our supply cases, so we can double check our suits once we reach a protected atmosphere."
"How did you know that everything would still be here?" wondered Archer. "After all these centuries, you risked a lot by sending us here. A force field from so long ago could easily have failed."
Janeway shook her head negatively. "It wasn't that big of a risk," she countered. "My colleagues in the future can scan for that type of thing. Once we verified the force field was still active, it followed logically that the technology concealed inside would still be operative as well. Let's get going… we've got to get inside that mountain and back out again before someone notices our presence here."
"You'll get no argument here," Archer agreed. He waited patiently until everyone finished roping themselves to the rest of the group, and then they began a slow, steady forward march outward from the leading tip of the shuttle pod.
It took twenty minutes to walk the short distance from the shuttle and reach the base of the southern-most mountain. After that, the nine members of the mission team from Enterprise spent more than an hour desperately searching its rocky side. The surface area stretched thousands of meters in each direction, curving gently to form the overall, elliptical shape that comprised the massive foundation. As the minutes passed, frustration grew and Archer even overheard a few swear words… unusual for his people. While most of the group continued to search, Janeway and T'Pol stepped back for a moment to more carefully think through the unexpected problem facing them.
"The darn thing is too well hidden!" growled Mayweather irritably. "How are we supposed to find it?"
"These do not look like normal mountains at all," the Subcommander observed, peering closely at the rising, solid rock in front of them. "This is not the result of volcanic activity. These mountains appear to have pierced the planet's surface long ago, as though pushed from below by a giant hand. Additionally, if the heat is indeed responsible for eroding the peaks, winnowing them down to sharp points, then why has it not burned away the rock at lower altitudes as well?"
"I didn't come all this way to solve every Tholian mystery," Janeway replied tersely. "If we can successfully settle our immediate problem, then that would be more than satisfactory."
T'Pol nodded and began walking slowly forward, her gaze penetrating the swirling blue mist around them as she studied the rock face intently. "Earlier aboard the shuttle, you mentioned that there were a considerable number of tectonic fault lines along the planet's surface. Perhaps the ground beneath our feet has shifted over the centuries, and eye level during years past is no longer eye level for us."
"Excellent reasoning," acknowledged Janeway, following the Vulcan's movement. "However, the entrance must be above ground, because it showed up very clearly on the shuttle pod's sensors." She leaned down with her right hand and picked up a rock, which immediately glowed orange upon touching her glove. Taking careful aim, the Captain threw the rock directly at a point several meters above the surface. It bounced off the side of the mountain cleanly, clattering to a stop near its base. Others took notice of her action, and they too began throwing rocks at random heights and locations.
The activity continued for another fifteen minutes before T'Pol suddenly called for attention. "I believe I have found it," she informed them, pausing several hundred meters from the nearest crewmember. Tucker was the first to reach her, and she pointed toward a spot approximately three meters above the ground. "Notice the streaks of black mineral in the rock," she stated informatively. "The design here precisely matches the same pattern approximately one meter to the left."
"How the hell did you notice that?" asked the astounded Commander.
T'Pol's expression appeared almost smug. "Vulcan children's puzzles are easier to solve."
Laughing, Tucker picked up a rock and threw it at the precise location she had indicated. Once again it struck solid rock and bounced back toward them. His amusement vanished and frustration returned.
The rest of the team quickly joined them, and this time it was Mayweather who tossed another rock toward the second location. There was a noticeable flare of scarlet energy before it rebounded away from the contact point. "Aha!" the Ensign chuckled elatedly. "You did it! You found it Subcommander!"
Tucker shook his head with astonishment. "Who needs sensors when you've got T'Pol!"
"I'd still like to know how we're going to get in there," mused Phlox thoughtfully. "If we somehow manage to disable the force field surrounding the entrance, the cooler atmosphere inside will escape. Won't the heat out here damage any technology in there, as it would with our shuttle?"
"Normally it would," Sisko agreed. "This type of force field, however, is designed to be pressure sensitive. If we push hard against it, we should be able to pass through without injury." To prove his point, he bent over and picked up Mayweather's rock. Then he threw it at the same spot, much more forcefully this time. The brief flare-up of scarlet energy was much brighter, and the projectile vanished completely as though it had truly passed through solid rock. "You see?"
"That's at least three meters high," noted Hoshi with a harrumph. "How in blazes do we get ourselves and our equipment up there without something reliable? A ladder of some sort would be good."
Hayes grinned at Tucker and leaned over, interlocking his fingers together once more. The Commander sighed heavily. "I'm getting to be a real pro at this," he decided wryly, allowing the Major to boost him up once again. There was a crackle of bright red energy as his fingers clamped hard along the unseen edge at the bottom of the entrance. "You're right Captain Sisko," Tucker called out, looking back down at them. "It tingles a bit, but if I apply any significant pressure at all my hand passes right through." He pulled himself completely up and climbed through, then leaned out far enough to hoist Hayes up next to him. Around them, glowing scarlet energy sizzled in electronic reaction to their presence. The hidden entrance lit up repeatedly, illuminating its overall shape as a near perfect oval.
"Let's bring the torpedo up next," suggested Tucker, looking downward toward the seven upturned helmeted faces. He and Hayes untied themselves and dropped their end of the rope down. "We're going to have to go slow and keep the casing from bumping against the rock face. One small nick in the protective barrier will be all it takes to set off the warhead!"
Archer immediately agreed with the idea. "You go too," he suggested to Sisko. "With three people up top, it should be easier to stabilize the casing from both ends." He leaned down and clasped his hands together, heaving the Deep Space Nine Captain upward long enough for Hayes and Tucker to grab him. It took them another half hour to work safely, but in the end they were able to cautiously move the torpedo casing up through the energy barrier. This proved to be the last major hurdle facing the Enterprise team. After that, it was a much simpler matter to pass the supply cases upward. Sisko reached down with one strong hand and easily hauled Ensign Sato up beside him, followed seconds later by Doctor Phlox. T'Pol and Mayweather came next, then Kathryn Janeway and finally Captain Archer.
Once everyone passed through the barrier, all they had to do was take a good look around. It was immediately apparent that the wild adventure to reach the planet was only the beginning of something far, far greater.