I Naviganti 2: "K'lalatar Prnak'lirli K'lalatar Prkori
(Infinite Combinations in Infinite Diversity)"
by Monica MicioGatta
with Seti's collaboration.
§10
T'Pol sat at the computer in her quarters. Her hand was still sore, the burn was still swollen with infection, but Phlox had stopped it just in time, before it could spread.
While in the sickbay, she had enquired about Tucker's status. Phlox had told her he was using an osmotic eel to try to reduce the scar: for this and his high irritability, Phlox was keeping him sedated.
T'Pol looked in the Vulcan database. All Enterprise crew knew the attraction between her and Trip. Many of them, probably, had imagined more than had really happened. Now the engineer's accident had awakened in her feelings which she had tried so hard to kept at bay.
She liked Tucker, she couldn't continue to hide it from herself. She would like to get engaged with him, to have a relationship, also to think about a future together... An impossible future. Enterprise's mission would not last forever, and it would be impossible to stay together afterwards.
When the picture of a small blue sphere appeared on the monitor, she sighed. The doubts she had shared with Phlox were confirmed. Parallel universes.
Maybe Archer, Tucker and Sato had been hit by waves from a parallel universe and their mental condition was altered.
She closed the database and went to the porthole. Because they were still out of warp, the stars hung in front of her. She couldn't see planets from this distance. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the transparent aluminium.
Trip had told her once of a Florida beach with white sand, palm trees, turquoise sea with small waves. He told her that he wanted to spend his old age in a wooden house, mounted on stilts planted in the sand, with a big porch, where he could watch the sea in the evening, and relax in the hot hours, breathing the breeze of the Atlantic Ocean.
It seemed like a dream for her too.
Trip was on the porch, sitting on a wicker sofa with large and soft creamy white cushions, the sunset over the sea, the scent of the blue ocean came into the house. He was holding a glass of fresh milk, sipping slowly. She cut two slices of pecan pie and reached him on the porch. She handed him a slice and sat on the couch next to him. Trip smiled, spoke to her... kissed her. After eating the pie they went inside, to their bedroom...
The sound of the doorbell brought her abruptly to reality.
It was a dream that could never come true.
They had not even gone beyond the kiss, there, on the idyllic and perfect Enterprise... Trip used to say "Small town gossip spreads like wildfire"... «Come in.» she said.
Captain Archer entered. «Am I disturbing you?» he asked.
She shook her head. «Lieutenant Reed and I have discovered that the blue sphere that appeared during the incident in the engineering could be a connection to another universe.»
Archer nodded. «Very well.» It was what they wanted. «Do you think we can use it?»
T'Pol raised an eyebrow. «How?»
«Phlox says that he found on you microbes that are perhaps from another universe. So I guess things can pass through this connection.»
«Passing microbes is not like transfering Humans or Vulcans.»
-Logical bitch.- he thought. In any case, they had succeeded. It was just matter of feeding more energy to the sphere to open the connection so he could return to his universe.
There was only one thing he wanted to do, before trying the transfer.
He put a hand on T'Pol's shoulder.
She raised an eyebrow. «Captain?»
«You're a very independent woman, much more than the Terrans.»
T'Pol couldn't understand what he meant. In addition, Archer's hand on her shoulder made her feel uneasy. She took a step back. «If you don't have anything more to tell me, I...»
Archer took her bandaged hand. «Does it still hurt?»
T'Pol pulled it away. «No.»
«I've had enough with your games.» Archer leaned forward, grabbing her arms and kissed her.
She pushed back hard. «Captain!» she said, her voice sharper than she intended.
Archer had shown attraction to her, years before, but that was past, especially because he was her captain. T'Pol had been informed, in a roundabout way, that Jonathan had given up a relationship with another of his subordinates, Erika Hernandez, because he was her boss. And when he meet Erika again about a year ago, their relationship didn't seem to have a future since both, in practice, were married to their respective ships. «The Vulcans should be slaves.» He said. «Slaves and nothing else.»
T'Pol shook her head slightly. «Maybe you should go back to your quarters.»
«There's only Hoshi there. This evening I want more.» He took a hypospray from his pocket and quickly pressed it against the Vulcan's neck.
T'Pol stepped back, putting a hand on her throat. «What...?»
«Nothing harmful.» He replied, putting an arm around her. «It's just a muscle relaxant. I prepared it while Phlox was in engineering with you.»
T'Pol raised her arm, trying to apply a Vulcan nerve pinch, but her hand fell before reaching Archer's shoulder. «I wanted to avoid this. But don't worry, commander, you'll remain conscious. You're going to enjoy this.»
T'Pol felt her muscles grow limp as she sagged against Archer. «You should let your hair grow.» He said, while lowering her to the ground. «You'd look better.»
(To be continued...)
Thanks to Zero Credibility who is betareading this work in English, to Seti and Franz that betaread it in Italian.